Before They Met Their Final Destination
by Katey-Kinz
Summary: Hi, Read This Story and check out my profile too! I think my story is different to the rest because it's set before the film happened, unlike after. So what did Alex, Clear, Tod, Terry, Carter, Billy and Ms.Lewton do in the week before the trip? If you li
1. Part One and some of Part 2- Triangles, ...

Hey everyone. Please review this, and check out my Final Destination Website at:

www.finaldestinationfansite.homestead.com/fd.html

Before They Met Their Final Destination........

****

Chapter 1:

The bell rang just as Alex leapt into his desk for English class. Ms.Lewton heard the noise and turned around from the black board.

"What was all that about Alex?" She questioned, staring at him.

"Um, nothing," he replied.

"Yeah well if you're gonna be late at least have an excuse for Christ's sake," she replied turning back to the board. A few people sniggered.

"I, er, my locker wouldn't um, open, yeah, and I couldn't remember the combination, so er, I had to figure it out okay?" Alex attempted to explain his absence.

"Oh Sure Alex, we believe you," Ms.Lewton told him as she turned to face the front. She stood, as if she was ready to give a speech. She was the kind of teacher who treated her class like equals, she had a laugh, but also she knew how teenagers worked and could be quite sarcastic when she wanted, as in at that moment.

Alex glanced around the class as he removed his english books from his rucksack.

His friend Tod, sat in the desk next to him. Tod was a weird kinda guy, a bit geeky, but still okay. He had been friends with Alex since they were little kids, playing water fights with a yellow water pistol. (which Alex still had on his desk)

"Now class," she began. "As you all know, it's our French trip next week, we do this every year for the seniors, it's to practice your French you've learned and generally get to know the French culture. Now, we have booked the flight now, and I want you all to listen very carefully."

Ms.Lewton stepped forward, as the class listened.

"We're on voleé Airflight 180, right, and it takes off at 9:25pm. That means, that we want you to be here at school before 5pm, which when the coach will be leaving, okay?"

It was lunchtime. Alex and Tod entered the cafeteria and made for a table in the corner.

"So, what d'ya think, you looking forward to the trip?" Tod asked him as they got out their lunches.

"I suppose so," Alex replied.

"I love French, it's one of my favourite lessons, and d'ya know what the best thing is?" Tod asked.

"No, what?" Alex said as if he couldn't be bothered to join in.

"Two words. Christa and Blake."

"You still on about them?"

"Since when have I been 'going on about them?'" Tod questioned, looking straight at Alex.

"Oh, I dunno, since first grade."

"Oh come on man," Tod started. "Don't tell me you don't fancy them too."

"They're okay, but I wouldn't spend my whole life thinking about them," Alex pointed out. "Look, if you like them so much, why can't you just go over there and ask one of them out?" He glanced towards the two girls, who were sitting on a table across the other side of the hall.

"Hey, anyone sitting here?" Billy Hitchcock suddenly asked interrupting the conversation.

"No," Alex replied.

Billy sat down. "I hate French, and I don't wanna go on this dumb trip," he exclaimed messing about with his red baseball cap which was on backwards.

"Why not?" Tod asked him.

"Cos it sucks. What use is French when we already talk english?"

"He's got a point there," Alex admitted.

"And I hate planes too," Billy told them.

"Oh, not me, I love going on planes," Tod argued. "It's so cool, going up above the clouds, you know, all that crap. What about you Alex?" He turned towards his friend.

"Alex?"

Alex raised his head. "What?"

"Do you like planes or what?"

"Does it really matter what I say?" Alex replied stubbornly. For some reason he felt uneasy about the whole plane thing.

"Well, no, but, oh fine then be like that!" Tod said annoyed.

"Be like what?"

But they didn't get any further. They all looked up, because they knew that someone was standing right by their table, and they also knew who that person was, and they weren't here for a friendly chat.

"Piss off Carter," Tod told him, standing up for himself and his mates.

"Oh yeah? And why should I?" Carter replied defiantly. He towered above them, smirking all over his face, knowing he was tougher than the three of them put together.

Billy looked down and chickened out. He was a right baby at times, especially when it came to facing Carter.

Alex and Tod on the other hand stared straight at him, acting like they weren't afraid.

"Oh stop being such a dick Carter, haven't you got anything better to do than piss us off?" Alex asked.

Carter folded his arms. "I heard you talking about this stupid trip we're having to France. Might be good, but if I find out I have got to sit next to one of you dickheads, you're dead."

"Oh, like we're really scared."

"Get lost you Pecker-Head."

Carter gritted his teeth, and his fists clenched by his sides.

"Carter!!"

It was Terry. She was on the other side of the hall.

"It's funny," Tod remarked unwisely. "I thought you and that bitch were joined at the hip."

All of a sudden Carter lost control. 

"Don't you EVER call Terry a bitch!" He yelled lunging for Tod. He punched him in the face, knocking him to the ground. Pretty soon the two of them were rolling around on the floor, kicking and punching and generally trying to beat crap out of each other. Alex leapt up off his seat and intervened.

"Hey hey hey! Guys, break it up," he attempted to control the situation, which only resulted in a kick in the balls from Carter. Doubled up in agony, Alex fell to the ground. Billy however, decided now was the time to peg it and, gathering up his things ran away from the table as fast as he could.

Tod managed to get hold of Carter, and somehow threw him across the hall. Carter went flying into a stack of chairs and hit the ground. Terry came rushing over, just as Carter was about to get up again. He had a bust lip and a cut on his forehead. He lay on the cafeteria floor breathing heavily, absolutely livid by the fact that Tod had overpowered him. But that was the thing, NOBODY overpowered Carter Horton in a fight. NOT EVER. It was just the way it was. 

Terry fussed around him, asking him if he was okay and everything. By the table, Alex, still limping slightly from the _very _painful kick which only boys could empathise with, came over to Tod, who was out of breath and still very angry. He had a black eye and was holding his right hand.

"Are you okay dude?"

"Yeah, it's just my hand, I'm fine, just bruised," Tod assured him.

"You sure? You should go get it checked out."

"Oh yeah," Tod replied. "What do I say when the school nurse asks how it happened, 'oh yeah I was just having a fight in the cafeteria, it's nothing'. If anyone finds out about this I probably won't be allowed on the trip."

He looked up to see Christa and Blake staring at him. Christa gave him a look of disgust, while Blake on the other hand seemed to be, almost admiring him.

"She digs me," Tod said catching her eye.

"Yeah yeah whatever," Alex said, not really taking any notice.

****

Chapter 2:

10 minutes later Tod, Carter, Terry and Alex were in the principals office.

"Now, you say Carter, that Tod started it?" the principal questioned.

"Yeah, he called Terry a bitch, so I hit him," Carter said as calm as anything. He sat in his chair arrogantly, obviously thinking he was ace.

"Tod, is this true?" 

Tod was looking down, with none of Carter's confidence in this kind of situation. Carter had _obviously _been to see the principal more this term than Tod had in his life.

"Well, er, kinda, I mean, sort of.....yeah. It's true."

"But Carter was piss- I mean annoying us before Tod made the comment," Alex interrupted.

"Mr.Browning, you will get your turn to speak," the principal said sternly, looking straight at Alex.

"Now Carter, Tod says _you_ kicked Alex in the," he struggled, trying to find a polite way to say it, but failed. "Well, he says you kicked Alex, so-"

"Did I kick him in the balls?" Carter repeated adding in what the principal couldn't say. "Yeah I kicked him the balls, cocky son of a bitch."

"Now Carter, there's really no need for-"

"Yeah there is, Tod had no right to say what he said about Terry, okay?"

Carter was growing more defiant and insolent by the second.

"Right Mr.Horton, I think we've heard enough of your side of the story now," the Principal replied ignoring Carter's comments.

"Now Alex," he continued turning to him. "Tell us what _you_ saw."

"Er, well, it's kinda hard to explain but, Tod, he was," Alex rubbed the back of his neck, finding it difficult to drop his friend in it. Tod shot him a pleading glance, but Alex also knew he couldn't lie, not when, even though _he _hadn't said it, it was obvious that Tod _had _done something.

Finally, after a long pause, he gave up and decided to skip straight to the next part. All eyes were on him.

"Well," he began clearing his throat. "All I can remember is that suddenly, Tod said something which I didn't quite hear, then Carter suddenly punched him, then they were fighting. I tried to break it up but then I got kicked in the......well that's all I can remember."

The principal leaned back.

"Well, I think it's pretty obvious to me that you two boys," he looked straight at Carter and Tod. "Have been breaking the school rule by fighting, and I think that the best thing, is to give you each a months detention, starting from when you get back from France and-"

"What, you mean we aren't being banned from the trip?" Tod interrupted.

"That can be arranged if you want Tod," he replied. "But for now I think detention is sufficient."

Carter glared at Tod, but Tod seemed quite relieved. At least he was still going.

"Right, you can all go now, I've had enough of the lot of you," the principal announced waving his arm, signalling them to leave.

Quickly, the four of them left the office. 

"Thanks dude," Tod said gratefully as they walked down the corridor.

"For what? You still got detention."

"Yeah, but I mean, thanks for standing up for me, you know, by not saying what I actually did."

They turned the corner. George, Tod's older brother, was leaning against the lockers.

"Hey," he called.

"Hey George," Tod replied, as they got closer.

"I heard you guys had to go see the principal."

"Yeah, so?" Tod tried to act cool about the whole thing.

"So what d'ya get? Detention?" George asked. Alex couldn't really understand why he was so bothered, but what would George know anyway? He was one of the biggest swots in the school.

"Yeah, 1 month," Tod answered, trying to change the subject. "Anyway, what are you doing here? You never wait for me anymore."

"Woah, let's get something straight Tod, I am NOT waiting for you okay?" George replied in a shocked voice.

"Well what the hell are you doing by my locker then?"

"Haven't you ever noticed that a Blake Dreyers locker is next to yours?" George questioned smarmily.

"No way man! You're going out with her?" Tod cried angrily.

"Yeah, we're going to the movies, I said I'd wait for her here."

"You dick! How could you? You _know_ I like her!"

"And I like her too okay? She just happened to say yes to me," George answered, a smug expression on his face, obviously enjoying the pain on Tods face.

"Yeah, so run along little bro, she's gonna be here any second now."

"I hate you," Tod snarled, feeling a fight coming on again.

Just then, Blake appeared.

"Hey George, Alex," She paused, seeing Tod's pained expression.

"...Tod."

"Hey," Tod replied trying to make out it was no big deal, when if fact it was, probably the biggest deal of his life.

"So, you ready now?" George asked her, leaning against the lockers trying to act so cool.

"Yeah, sure, let's go," Blake agreed, as they started to walk. She turned around.

"See ya later Alex, Tod." She looked at Tod and smiled at him. Then they were gone, along the corridor and out of the door.

"You can't win em all Tod," Alex attempted to console his best mate. "And anyway, what about Christa?"

"Christa?" Tod repeated. "She hates me. I just know it, but Blake, well she's different. She smiled at me Alex, she really smiled at me."

"And your point is?"

"I dunno. Let's just go home, I've had enough of the dumb school for one day."

Soon, they were walking along the path, near Tod's house.

"So I guess George won't be back for a while then," Alex commented.

"No."

"You still angry at him?"

"Well duh? He is just such a dick sometimes, he's only a year older than me but he thinks he's so much bigger than me, you know?"

"Not really, I'm an only child remember?" Alex reminded him. 

They turned the corner, Tod's house was up in the distance, at the end of the block. Alex on the other hand, had to walk in the other direction.

"Okay, well I guess I'll see you tomorrow then," Tod said, as he walked off.

"I guess."

****

Chapter 3:

The next morning, Alex came downstairs for breakfast. His Mum and Dad were already sitting at the table. As they saw him come to the bottom of the stairs, his Dad put down his coffee.

"So Alex, looking forward to your trip?"

"Yeah," Alex replied sleepily, and unenthusiastically.

"Oh, you sound really excited," his mum commented sarcastically.

"I am."

He pulled the chair out and sat down, reaching for the cereal.

"How are you for a suitcase?"

"I haven't got one." Alex was speaking in short sentences like he just couldn't be bothered to talk.

"Well," Mr.Browning said trying to keep up the conversation. "You can borrow mine if you like, how's that sound?"

Alex looked up, playing about with the spoon in his cornflakes like he wasn't hungry.

"I'm ecstatic."

"Yeah well, you better get going, you're gonna be late," Mrs.Browning warned.

Without a word, Alex got up, leaving all his cereal. He picked up his bag and walked out of the door.

"Hey Alex!" It was Tod, standing at the school gates. "What's up with you dude? It's almost nine."

"Overslept," Alex replied. "Hate school, hate lessons, wish we never had to come to this prison every day, the usual."

They walked up the path, past the car park. Carter's car had just pulled into a space. He got out, slamming the front door behind him. As he did so, he noticed Tod and Alex. 

"Pecker head," he mouthed at Tod.

"Oh give it a rest Carter," Alex called back.

Carter just shook his head, and turned away putting his keys in his pocket.

"I don't know why they're even letting that dickhead on the trip," Tod thought aloud.

"I heard his parents sold like, 10 times the amount of raffle tickets to raise the money to go to France, just to get rid of him for a few days," Alex explained. "Where's George?" 

"Oh, he came back around 10, saying a load of crap I didn't really wanna listen to, then went to bed. I haven't seen him this morning."

"So d'ya think he'll be going out with Blake again?"

"I hope not."

The two of them walked through the doors and into school. They got to French class just as the bell rang. Alex and Tod went through the door and sat down in their places. Carter was behind them, wearing his high-school jacket like the big show-off that he was. He shook his head angrily as the two of them sat down.

Mr.Murnau, the French teacher, turned around smiling.

"Bonjour la Classe," he greeted them. 

There was a slight murmur round the room, but nobody specifically returned the greeting.

"Right then," Mr.Murnau continued suddenly speaking in English.

"If I can just have your projects then we'll get on with sorting out this trip."

"Oh shit, I've forgot it," Tod muttered as he remembered he'd left it at home.

"Oh man, you're really not gonna be allowed on the trip if he finds out about this," Alex told him. "That whole project was like, all our research for the trip, it's vitally important he sees it before we go!"

"And we don't have French now till after the trip," Tod finished.

"Thankyou Terry, now Carter, may I have _your _project please?"

Carter handed the teacher a file. Great. Even Carter had got his work, like the smarmy jerk that he was. 

"Clear, thankyou, Billy, that's great Billy Weldone," Mr.Murnau commented as he moved along the row.

"Now Tod, have you got your project to give me?"

Tod didn't say a word.

"Tod, take this," Alex whispered, passing him his own work under the table. For a second, Tod looked at Alex, wondering what he should do, then slowly handed it over.

"Thanks, now Alex please."

"I haven't got it."

"Excuse me?"

"I'm sorry Mr.Murnau, I forgot my work okay? I'll give it to you tomorrow," Alex persuaded.

The teacher sighed. "For God's sake Alex, you better get it to me tomorrow or there'll be hell to pay, and this is the last time you're getting away with this okay?"

Alex breathed a sigh of relief. His plan had worked.

As the teacher moved to the front of the class, Tod leaned over.

"Why the hell did you stick up for me like that?"

"Hey, we're mates aren't we? And you still wanna go to France right?"

"Yeah."

"Right, well let's get this of the way shall we?" Mr.Murnau announced, facing the class again.

"In Paris, you will be in set groups, okay? You will need to plan out some research on Paris, and each group will be given a set subject. You will need to do some work _before _we go to France, so I wanna see you working all right? Cos when we actually get there you have to use your research to do the activities."

Everyone groaned. How boring and sad was this?

"Right, well here are the groups," he cleared his throat and picked up a piece of paper on the desk.

"Jenny, Chris, Steven, Lorna, Dickie, Rachel and Gavin, you're one group, Blake, Trent, Robbie, Lyndsay, Christa and Sean, you're group number two, and Carter, Terry, Alex, Tod, Billy and Clear you're group three."

All at once, everybody moaned and started kicking up a fuss.

"Why do I have to be in a group with all the pecker-heads?" Carter shouted out.

"Mr.Horton, You will be put in the group I tell you to be in okay?

"Just our luck," Alex whispered. "We have to be in the jerks group."

Tod sighed and looked straight down at the table.

There was one person who didn't comment on what group she was in. Clear Rivers. She sat at the back, minding her own business.

"Hey Tod, Alex, I get to be in your group," Billy said happily.

"Woah! Ace! I get to be in _your_ group," Tod mocked throwing his arms up.

"All right, calm down, calm down. This is a team effort, something which the members of the football team will know all about," Mr.Murnau announced looking knowingly at Carter.

"You can get together any time to discuss this project, but It must be ready for the trip."

****

Chapter 4:

After school, Tod and Alex saw Carter standing by his locker.

"So?" they asked, approaching him.

"So what?"

"So when are we gonna get some work done for this sucky project?"

"Who gives a shit?" Carter replied defiantly, as he worked out his combination. The locker opened with a jerk.

"Well, unless you really wanna fail French this year, I suggest you summon up the effort," Alex pointed out. Carter stuffed some books in his locker, then slammed it shut, in a way that showed exactly how he was feeling.

"Well what's new?" He was being difficult on purpose now. "Look, you dicks figure something out, then maybe I'll think about it."

"Carter," Alex begun. "This is meant to be a team effort."

"Right," Carter agreed, pointing to the badge on his jacket. "Something which I 'know all about'. Now get out of here before Terry comes."

"I was thinking, my house around 7," Tod suggested. 

"Oh wow, I'm so excited," Carter mocked. 

"You got a better idea?"

"I knew we should never have let Carter talk us into meeting us here," Alex said regrettingly as he and Tod trudged up the hill to the drive-in.

As they neared the gates, they could see Billy and Clear were already there, standing waiting.

"Hey," Billy called out as they approached.

"Where are Carter and Terry?"

"They haven't showed up yet," Clear replied, speaking for the first time.

Suddenly, the black car appeared by the gate.

Alex leaned in towards the window.

"What exactly was the point in meeting us all here?"

"Hey, relax," Carter reassured him. "A movie will make us all feel better, right Terry?"

"Right."

"Now get in and let's roll," Carter said quickly.

"You what?" Alex asked, not sure he'd heard right.

"Excuse me, sir," Carter mocked. "But is this or is this not a _drive-in_ movie theatre? That means you have to drive in, so get in the fucking car and let's go."

"Fine then," Alex replied pissily.

He opened the door and they all piled in.

"Hey Carter, when do we get to study?" Billy asked eagerly as they drove into a space. Carter looked at Billy through the rear view mirror.

"Gee, I dunno Billy, hey why don't you take all these sodding books, and do some research, while I watch the movie? That sound good to you?"

"Hey," Billy said slowly, finally catching on.

"Carter, we are meant to be studying for this dumb project, just what exactly are you doing?" Clear demanded.

"Shhh," Carter replied. "Can't you see I'm trying to watch this?"

Tod exchanged a knowing glance with Alex. As usual, Carter had led them into another one of his traps.

"Hey, Billy, go get me some popcorn will you? Oh yeah, and a hot dog, and two cokes." Carter announced passing Billy some cash.

"Er, excuse me Carter but can't you bloody go yourself?" Tod pointed out.

"Er, excuse me, But can't Billy fight his own battles?"

"It's okay Tod," Billy replied passively. "I'll be back in a second."

He got out of the car and started walking to the cafe.

"Why do you have to take advantage like that?" Alex questioned him.

"Why should I have to move? I got you all here in the first place. You all owe me BIG TIME," Carter replied smugly.

"No, Carter," Alex said angrily. "You said we were going to study, you never said _anything _about watching this pointless film, with it's crap plot and-"

Alex was now watching the screen. Carter gave an appreciative smirk and turned back to the front.

"I mean, what is the point in even watching this, it's the saddest film I have ever......."

His voice trailed off. Alex stared intently at the movie.

"Alex?" Tod asked, confused.

"Shhh! Can't you see I'm enjoying this?" Alex replied sharply.

"Oh fuck this, I'm going home," Tod announced suddenly, reaching for the door handle.

"Where the fuck do you think you're going?" Carter spun round, suddenly menacing.

"Don't think I'm afraid of you Horton, I beat you once, I can beat you again!"

"Why don't you step outside and say that?" Carter challenged, getting ready to punch.

"Okay then I will," 

"Guys, guys, stop this!" Clear cried, interrupting their heated conversation.

"This isn't getting us anywhere."

"Carter?" Terry spoke out of the blue.

"What?" 

"They're right you know, maybe we should go somewhere else, and get this work done, it is important."

Carter thought for a minute. Terry put her hand on his shoulder. He turned to face her, a sudden smirk spreading over his face.

"Okay then, we'll go for a little drive somewhere if that's what you want."

Tod was suddenly uneased by the tone of his voice, but Terry just smiled. 

'Love is Blind' Tod thought blankly.

Carter started up the ignition.

"Hey, hey, what the hell is going on?" Alex blurted out, the sound of the engine turning his attention away from the movie.

"We're going for a drive Browning."

Carter pushed his foot down on the accelerator, the car lurched forward. He turned the steering wheel and started driving off, just as Billy re-appeared carrying the popcorn, coke and hot dogs.

"Hey, wait for me!" He yelled, over the roar of the engine. He started running, the popcorn and the coke spilling everywhere.

He got to the door just as the car reached the gates.

"Would it hurt you to wait for me next time?" he asked, panting.

"Oh just get in and shut up."

****

Chapter 5:

Pretty soon they were driving along the dark road.

"This might sound like a pretty stupid question," Tod asked cockily. "But where the fuck are we going?"

"Well," Carter replied, catching his eye in the rear-view mirror. "This might sound like a pretty stupid answer, but I don't know."

Tod threw himself back into his seat in despair. 

"Carter, where are we?" Clear questioned, looking around in the darkness.

"Somewhere."

"Well where the hell is that?"

"I don't recognise this place at all," Alex commented, noticing they were now driving on a small road through the woods.

"It's nothing, in a second we'll be back on the highway," Carter said quickly, afraid to admit he didn't know where they were either.

They drove a little further. Just then, Carter caught a glimpse on the dashboard. 

"Oh shit," he breathed.

"What now?!"

"Nothing, it's nothing."

Carter stared at the dial. The needle was on the red. And this could only mean one thing. Alex leaned forward, and saw what Carter had seen.

"Oh Jesus fucking Christ Carter!" he yelled throwing his arms up in the air.

"What?!" Clear shrieked angrily. "Will someone please tell me what is going on here?"

But they didn't need to, as at that moment she got her answer. The black car slowly came to a halt in the middle of the road.

"What the hell are you doing Carter?" Tod cried indignantly from the back seat.

"Why has the car stopped?"

"There's no gas left," Alex said plainly. 

There was a deathly silence, as they all realised what this meant.

"Right," Tod began, the only one who didn't seem too shocked. "So you're telling me, that you made us all come out here, drive along in the pitch black into the middle of no-where, then you go and run out of gas? What is up with you Carter?"

"Hey, don't you DARE tell me this is all my fault!" Carter yelled, jerking his head to face Tod.

"Well who's fucking fault is it then?"

"I don't know! But I have had enough of you and your smart-arse Ideas! So get the fuck out of my car, and don't even think about getting in again until I fucking say so!!" By now Carter was practically insane with rage. It took all his willpower to stop himself from hitting him.

Slowly, Tod, pulled the handle, and got out. He raised his eyebrows to Carter and gave him a cocky smirk, like he didn't care. He stood by the side of the road and rubbed his hands together smugly.

"You ass-kissing son of a bitch!!" 

Carter couldn't take it anymore. He tore off his seat belt and grabbed for the handle. Terry tried to restrain him but even she knew better when Carter was like this.

He leapt out of the car and lunged for Tod, knocking him to the ground.

Alex got out of the car. Carter had got Tod on the floor and was punching him furiously.

Then, all at once, Tod found the strength to overpower him, and pushed him away. Alex took the opportunity and rushed to Tod. He grabbed him by the shoulders, but Tod was way past being calmed down. He tried to shove Alex away, not noticing they were right on the edge of an embankment.

Alex stumbled on the edge, losing control. He reached out frantically for something to stop him from falling, and in the heat of the moment grabbed Tod's sleeve. Tod, taken aback by the sudden force, fell backwards, and all Carter could do was watch as the two of them went over the edge and down the muddy slope.

There was a slamming of doors, and Clear, followed by Billy and Terry rushed onto the scene.

"Oh my God, where are they?" Clear shrieked looking over the edge. 

Carter stood, silent. He leaned forward, to try and get a better view, but all he could see was darkness. 

"Where are they!?!"

"Shhhh, Clear calm down," Billy said slowly, walking over to her. Terry looked shocked. She looked at Carter. He looked at her. Then he disappeared.

****

Chapter 6:

Carter Horton opened his eyes. It was light, and he could see where he was. He could feel a pain in his right leg, but he couldn't remember a thing. He looked around. He was at the bottom of what looked like a cliff. 

He rubbed his face with his hands, trying to recall any memory of what happened the previous night.

"Where am I?" he said aloud. His words echoed off the sides of the cliff.

He slowly attempted to get to his feet, and breathed a sigh of relief when he realised he _could _stand up. There was blood on his jeans, where the rocks had cut into him, and his head felt light and dizzy as he tried to regain his balance, but apart from that, he was okay.

He looked up. The top of the cliff was about 6 feet above his head. 

"Hello!?" Carter called hoping someone would hear him.

"Hello!" 

"Carter?" A voice called back hopefully.

"Yeah, it's me," he cried. "I'm at the bottom of the cliff. I'm okay."

Terry looked over the edge. She looked tired and had dark circles under her eyes.

"Oh my God, Carter! It's you!"

"Yeah, well forgive me for spoiling the moment but can you actually do something instead of saying 'it's you' all the time. You're getting on my nerves," Carter replied irritably. 

"Carter, you don't have to be like that!" Terry said back, her feelings slightly hurt by his tone. "I'll go and get Billy and Clear so we can get you out."

"There's some rope in the boot, get it out and I can climb up it!" Carter suggested from at the bottom of the embankment.

There was the sound of footsteps, then Billy, Clear and Terry's faces re-appeared with the rope.

They threw it down, and Carter started to haul himself up. In a few minutes, he was out.

"Oh Carter, are you all right?" Terry cried throwing herself at him. Carter was taken aback and tried to return the hug, but it just didn't feel right.

Embarrassed, he prised himself away from her.

"Geez Terry, I'm fine," he said.

"Where are Alex and Tod?" Clear asked.

Carter shrugged.

"Didn't you see them, at all?" Billy added.

"No, I didn't. Now can we stop with the twenty questions please?"

"Right, well we still don't know where we are, there's no gas left in your car, Tod and Alex have disappeared off the face of the earth, and you need to go to the hospital," Terry analysed the situation.

"I do NOT need to go to the hospital okay?!" Carter replied, feeling a short stabbing pain in the back of his head. Suddenly, the world started spinning and he reached out for something to grab onto.

Terry rushed over, putting her arm around him.

"Oh my god Carter, what is wrong with you?" she asked, concerned about him.

"Nothing is wrong with me! I just felt a little dizzy that's all," Carter replied indignantly.

"Concussion," Clear said plainly. "You've obviously got concussion Carter. It can be very serious sometimes."

"Look, can you all stop worrying about me please? I am FINE. F-I-N-E, do you understand me?" Carter spelled out, even though his head was throbbing and he could barely stand up. 

"Just sit down, take it easy, please," Terry pleaded. Carter wished she would stop hanging around him so much. He brushed her arm away and sat down on the floor.

"Now, Alex and Tod is the next problem, where the hell have those two dickheads got to?"

"I was kinda hoping you could answer that," Billy replied.

"Well, I can only suggest that you go down the embankment and look for them, they might still be unconscious or something," Carter explained.

"Right, well we'll go and you can sit in the car and wait for us," Terry suggested. "You sure you're all right baby?"

"Yeah."

****

Chapter 7:

Carter stumbled towards his car, pulling at the handle until the door finally opened. He slumped into the seat and leaned back.

Something was different. Something had happened to him since the fall, and he didn't know what yet, but he was gonna break this one.

He reached for the dial and turned on the radio. John Denver's Rocky Mountain High was playing.

He was just closing his eyes when,

"Hello!!!!!!" A loud and cheery voice cried out. Carter jumped and his eyes flickered open. It was Tod.

"Tod?" Carter said, not sure whether what he was seeing was real.

"Yeah, it's me. I fell down a cliff and nearly died, but I'm great! Couldn't be happier. So, what's up with you then, why are you sitting there being a boring git eh? Come on, get out and let's have some fun!"

"Excuse me Tod," Carter begun wearily. "But I thought we were meant to hate each other."

"Oh, that old thing," Tod said brushing all the fighting incidents aside.

"That was yesterday. Today's a fresh start, so whad'ya say old buddy?"

"Are you sure you're all right Tod? You're acting kinda weird."

"Weird? Weird? What's that? I don't know anything about 'weird'." Tod said, ironically in a weird way.

"....right," Carter replied slowly. "Well, I don't really feel like getting out of the car right now, you see unlike you I don't take falling off the cliff as being my most treasured life experience."

He looked at Tod, who was still grinning back all over his face. "So why don't you get in the car and calm yourself down."

Tod sighed, but reluctantly opened the back door and got in.

"Where's Alex then?" Carter asked.

"Dead in a ditch somewhere," Tod replied in a very calm voice.

Carter's eyes opened wide.

"Really?"

"Gotcha!!" Tod cried out screaming with laughter. Carter gritted his teeth, feeling the headache get worse.

"No, he told me to go off and he'd catch up. I think he broke his arm, he seemed kinda pissed off with me."

"I wonder why," Carter sighed knowingly.

Just at that moment, Terry, Clear and Billy re-appeared with Alex. Alex looked tired drained of energy.

"Tod?" Billy asked in disbelief.

"Hi guys, it's me!!" Tod yelled running over to them. 

"He's gone crazy," Carter shouted over to them, circling one finger round his ear.

"Well, now it's light, we can see where we are," Clear explained. "There's gotta be a gas station around here somewhere. I'll go, with Terry and Billy. You three can stay here." 

She pointed to Carter, Tod and Alex. Alex slid into the back with Tod, silently.

"Hey Alex, you all right?" Carter asked.

Alex nodded. "I'll live."

"Right, so who's up for 'I spy'?" Tod cried out suddenly. Carter and Alex flinched at the sound of his voice.

"I'll go first, um, I spy with me little eye, something beginning with T!"

There was a silence, as neither Carter nor Alex saw the point in playing the sad game.

"Come on! You're meant to guess something!" Tod yelled in a high-pitched annoying tone.

"Tree," Carter said with no enthusiasm.

"Correct!!" Tod screamed out. 

"Look, Tod, will you shut the fuck up for one second?!" Alex yelled suddenly.

That wiped the smile off Tod's face. He looked hurt and sat back against the upholstery.

"You know, me and Carter, don't exactly feel like playing stupid fucking kids games when we don't feel too good okay? And it's all right for you, cos you feel all happy and cheery and you don't give a damn about how we're feeling! Just get it into your thick head, we don't want to talk, we don't want to play, we don't want to do anything! Oh yeah, and just for the record, I went out with Christa last week and she said she hated your guts!" Alex had completely lost it.

There was an awkward silence. Tod looked very hurt by what Alex had just said.

Carter looked at Tod, and couldn't help but feel slightly sorry for him. Tod looked kinda cute....

"Woah, where the hell did that come from?" Carter thought. "It's gotta be the concussion, it's just gotta be."

Slightly scared by the weird thought, Carter decided the best thing to do was to go to sleep.

"When I wake up," he thought. "Everything will be back to normal."

When he opened his eyes again, he still felt tired, but the pain had subsided in his head a bit. He glanced at the digital clock on the dashboard.

9:23am, the screen read.

He glanced behind him. Alex and Tod were asleep. The other three weren't back yet.

Helplessly, he glanced back to the clock.

"Where the hell are they?" he whispered to himself. 

TOD, the digital display read. Carter stared. 'What the?' he breathed, inching back away from the screen.

'YOU LOVE TOD'. The message was mocking him, if it could talk it would be laughing it's head off.

"Nooooooooooooo!! Carter screamed, reaching for a can of anti-freeze.

'YOU AND TOD, SITTING IN A TREE', the message gloated.

Carter brought the heavy can of anti-freeze down onto the clock hard, smashing in the display. He didn't stop until it was completely mangled.

"I am NOT gay!!!!!!!" Carter screamed at the top of his voice.

"Carter?" It was Tod. Carter hoped to god he wasn't still in a happy-go-lucky mood.

"Carter, are you all right?" He asked calmly.

It seemed he was back to normal. 'Thank god', Carter thought.

"Yeah, I think so."

Well what else could he say when he had just seen his digital clock telling him he was in love with Tod?

"Why is the clock smashed?"

"Um, er, gee, I dunno. How did that happen?" Carter asked, pretending to be shocked.

Tod didn't look convinced. 

"Well, whether you do or not," Tod hesitated. "Why did you just shout that you weren't gay?"

Carter scratched the back of his neck.

"Er, well, that's easy to explain," he began. "I was having a nightmare."

Tod was about to ask, what about, but decided he'd rather not.

"Yes well, anyway, where are the guys?" Tod asked.

"The guys?" Carter asked, as if he was losing his memory as well as his mind. "Oh yeah, the guys. I don't know, but it seems they've been gone quite a while, leaving just me and you and Alex, alone together, in my car, in the woods, just three guys alone in the woods together..." Carter suddenly realised what he was implying and stopped. "What the hell is wrong with me?" he thought.

"Well," Tod said clearing his throat, trying to get away from the fact that they were three guys alone together in the woods.

"I think that we should find some kind of a phone box or something, try and get help, you know."

"Yesssss," Carter replied hanging on his every word. "That sounds good."

Tod was beginning to feel very uneasy about being a guy alone in the woods with Carter at that moment.

"You know what, I'll go alone, I think I need the fresh air," Tod 

announced pulling at the door handle. Carter spun around in his seat. 

"No, no, you can't just go on your own!"

"Er, yes I can."

"But haven't you ever heard of safety in numbers?"

"Yes, I have," Tod replied. "But if I'm completely honest with you Carter, and I will be, I think that you, are, not well, okay? And I don't think that you should come with me." He opened the door and got out.

"No Tod please! Don't leave me alone! I need you here!"

"Do you?" Tod asked. "I don't think you do. Alex is here, and he needs you to keep an eye on him."

"I'd rather keep an eye on you." The words slipped out of Carter's mouth before he could stop himself. Inside his head he was screaming.

'Ahhhhhhhhhh!' he thought wildly. 'Don't you know how gay that sounded? Quick, say something to clear it all up!' his brain told him. He opened his mouth.

"Tod?"

"Yes," Tod replied, feeling very impatient.

'Say it!" His brain practically yelled at him.

"Er, I er, didn't mean that to sound gay or anything," Carter blurted out.

"Sure you didn't," Tod replied smarmily slamming the door. Carter could only watch as he walked off down the road. Frustrated and confused, Carter banged his fists on the dashboard.

****

Chapter 8:

"Carter?"

Alex was all Carter needed right now, angry at him and angry at himself, Carter turned around to face him.

"What now Mr. 'I can't be left alone in the woods invalid'?"

"Excuse me? Am I missing something?" Alex replied sleepily.

"No, sorry," Carter softened. "It's just me being a dickhead as usual. You wouldn't understand."

Alex raised his eyebrows as he sat up straight in his seat, stretching his legs in the process.

"You wanna bet?"

Carter decided to ignore the smart-arse comment for now. After all, he had more important things on his mind. He turned back to the front and looked out of the window. The road seemed to stretch on forever, and if he looked carefully, he could just see Tod in the distance. Obviously there was no phone box for miles either. There was still absolutely no sign of Billy, Clear or Terry, and if he was honest Carter was quite thankful. He wasn't sure he could face Terry, his long-term girlfriend right now, not when he was feeling the strange way that he was. 

"Alex?" Carter begun suddenly. "Have you ever thought that I was acting a bit, weird?"

"Weird how?" Alex replied calmly, obviously not expecting the sort of comment which was to come.

"Weird as in, gay."

"Where did you get a stupid idea like that?" Alex answered, thoughts racing through his mind.

"I know, I know, but I was just wondering, cos I wouldn't want people to be thinking that about me, you know."

"Right, well as far as I'm concerned, you're not gay. I don't know about anyone else, but that thought has never crossed my mind. Dickhead, yes, Gay, no."

Carter smiled. "Well good.......cos I'm not," he added quickly.

Alex leaned back against the seats. He looked out of the window, feeling exhausted. He still had a headache.

Carter felt quite pleased now. At least, people didn't think he was gay, well, not for now anyway. But he was scared, that as soon as Tod came back, his mouth would start running away with him again. 

"Look Alex, I'm kinda tired. I think I'm gonna go to sleep for a while, you know?"

Alex nodded faintly.

'Like I give a damn,' he thought to himself. It was only a matter of minutes before Carter had dropped off.

Carter woke up when somebody started knocking on the window.

"Bloody hell Carter wake up!!" a familiar voice hissed. Before he had even opened his eyes, Carter knew who this was. Slowly, he unlocked the door.

Tod opened it.

"Carter, I didn't find anything, there's nothing!" he said anxiously.

"Nothing at all?"

"No. There's no phone boxes, no houses, no gas stations, no nothing. And still no sign of the others."

"Well what should we do then?" Carter replied, speaking carefully to make sure he didn't say anything gay again.

"Oh, I give up," Tod sighed getting into the back of the car next to Alex, who was now asleep again. "What's the use of walking around trying to find something when you know it isn't there?"

"You don't _know _there's nothing there," Carter replied with caution.

"You reckon?"

"Nah," Carter admitted looking through the glove compartment. "I was just lying. Besides, I have a better way to make us feel better."

He brought his hands out of the glove compartment. He was holding some beer.

"What do you say Tod old mate? A little drink to raise our spirits?"

Tod looked unsure. "I dunno Carter, I don't usually drink," he said slowly.

"Oh yeah, and I don't usually fall off cliffs and turn gay, but there you go," Carter said cheerfully, not realising he'd just made another comment. He handed a beer to Tod. Tod gave Carter a worried glance, but took it anyway.

"Thanks."

"I hope those guys never come back," Carter said letting the gay side of him take over his big mouth. "I'm really having fun sitting here with you."

Tod looked at him. "Carter, all we're doing is sitting here drinking, where's the fun in that?"

"I'll find some somewhere," Carter replied smarmily. "Hey, d'ya know what would be really cool?"

Tod looked up slowly. "No," he replied, not really sure where all this was leading to.

"If we got out of the car and went to climb trees," Carter answered, grinning at Tod.

"Carter, we're 17 years old. We do NOT climb trees for fun," Tod replied, the responsible one as usual.

"Oh yeah? And why do you have to be Mr.Sensible all the time? Live life on the edge Tod. We could get out of this car and a lorry could plough into my car and kill Alex, but then at least we could say 'I was seconds from death, I lived life to the max'. Cool eh?"

"No," Tod said. Carter has really cracked up now, he thought. It's only a matter of time before he goes really crazy.

"You won't be saying that when you've got a few of these inside you," Carter laughed holding up his bottle.

"Well, I still don't think it's a good idea but-."

He didn't have time to answer, as before he had the chance Carter grabbed him by the hand. They ran off amongst the trees.

"Now, there's an easy one to climb," Carter announced after they'd gone a few minutes into the woods. They were standing in front of a huge fir tree. It had a long narrow trunk, with great branches for foot-holes on the way up. Right near the top were the leaves.

"I dare you to go up there and bring back a pine-cone," he challenged Tod.

"What? Right up there? No way dude."

"Chicken!" Carter mocked, taking a drink of his beer.

Tod started to get angry then. He was not a chicken. And he was going to prove it.

"Okay then, I will. Hold this," he answered bravely shoving his bottle at Carter.

"Woah, go Tod!" Carter encouraged as Tod rolled back his sleeves, ready to climb.

****

Chapter 9:

Billy sat down in the dust.

"Oh this is just great!" he moaned. "You can't remember which way it is to get back to the car?"

Clear gave him a pissed off look. "Hey, Billy, It wasn't up to me to remember was it?"

"Well It wasn't up to me either," Billy replied looking down at the ground, his head in his hands. The sun was quite high in the sky now, and it looked like it was gonna be a hot day.

"So what do we do now?" Terry asked, as she couldn't be bothered to think of a solution herself.

"Well, how about we just sit here and wait for our deaths? That sound like a good idea?" Billy said sarcastically, raising his head to face her for a second.

"Don't be such a freak Billy."

"Yeah Billy, you're a real jerk."

"Oh thanks. Nice to know who your friends are isn't it?"

"Hang on a second," Clear said holding her hands out. "We never said we were your friends okay?"

Billy felt sad then. He was stuck in the middle of the woods on a boiling hot day, alone with two girls. Normally any guys dream come true, but not for Billy now that they'd basically just told him they didn't like him.

"Billy," Clear begun feeling slightly guilty about what she'd just said.

"We didn't mean it like that okay?"

"Yeah, you're all right."

Billy, sensing that was the best he was gonna get out of them, decided to be satisfied with the answer he'd got.

"Right."

"Hey, what's that?" Terry announced suddenly, pointing at something in the distance. They all looked.

"What's what?"

"That!"

"It looks like some kind of.." Clear's voice trailed off, as she realised. It was a car, coming towards them along the track. Immediately, the three of them leapt into the road, waving wildly.

"Stop!!" 

As the car drew nearer, it slowed down. The window wound down. The driver was a man, about 40 years old. He smiled as they crowded around the window.

"What do you want?" The man asked, but he didn't seem annoyed with them.

"Well, the thing is, our car broke down a couple of miles back and er-."

"Oh, trouble with your car is it? I can fix that," the man interrupted Clear. She sighed.

"No, it's just run out of gas, but we were wondering if you might possibly-."

"You want me to give you a ride to a gas station? Sure thing kids, hop in, there's one only a couple of miles down this very road."

Clear was starting to get irritated by his interruptions before she'd even finished what she was saying.

"No, you see that's not the whole thing. We've got these other three guys back with the car, and it's kinda a long story but, they're hurt, and we wanted to know if there's any doctors or anything round here maybe?"

The man shook his head. "Sorry kid, there ain't a hospital or anything like that round here for up to 50 miles. If you've got injured people back at your car you better call 911."

Clear threw her arms up in frustration. Billy stepped forward to have a go at getting through to the man.

"I think, what my friend means," he started, smiling at Clear as he said the word 'friend'. "Is that we just need to know how we can contact somebody who can help these guys."

The man raised his eyebrows, as if he was finally getting the message.

"That _and _you want a lift to the gas station?"

"Well yeah," Billy replied, past caring whether he sounded rude or not.

"Well, to be honest I don't think you'll have any luck with the doctor thing, but If I drive you to the gas station and you get some gas, at least you'll be able to start to find your way back yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Well, get in then, I ain't got time to waste," The man replied as the three of them piled into the back.

Tod and Carter sat on a rock, laughing and wearing pine cones on their heads. Empty beer bottles were scattered on the ground. They started singing 'row, row, row your boat' drunkenly.

"Carter?" Tod asked, taking a sip of what must have been the 7th bottle.

"What?"

"What d'ya wanna do now?"

"Well," Carter begun, his voice slurring slightly. "We've sang, we've danced, we've climbed trees, we've made hats out of pine cones, we've tried on the girls clothes......" 

"Hang on a minute," Tod interrupted, the beer sloshing around in his hand. "We have not tried on the girls clothes."

"Well that's what we're gonna do then."

"Eh? We came out here to do that thing you know, what you do with a pencil and work, you know when you have to work something out for that building we go to every day?" Tod replied drunkenly.

"Study?"

"Yeah, study, that's it. We came here to study, so what makes you think that they brought any clothes with them?"

Carter smirked. "Now if there's one thing I've learnt about girls," He said. "And I have, then the one thing they can't live without is clothes. They take clothes everywhere dude."

Tod looked confused. "Why?"

Carter felt like saying shut up, at least that's what his mind was telling him to say anyway. He didn't know whether it was the drink talking or what, but instead he said,

"I don't know Tod, but the only way to find out is to go back to the car, open up the boot and try on the clothes, then," Carter paused, swaying slightly on the rock as he took another drink. "Then maybe magical powers will take us over and we'll think like girls and then we'll know why they need to take clothes with them."

To anyone sober listening, that would have sounded like complete and utter crap, but to Tod, it made sense in a drunken way. He nodded, and attempted to get to his feet. He slipped in the mud, and Carter had to quickly grab him to stop him from falling and smacking his head right onto the hard stone. But being drunk, Tod didn't seem to realise this and just burst out laughing.

They started walking back up the embankment.

"Right," Carter announced, rubbing his hands together when they got back to the car. "Let's go."

He walked over to the boot and opened it up. Inside, there was a bag of clothes.

"Ah-ha!" Carter exclaimed happily. It was Terry's stuff she's left ages ago. "It's party time!"

****

Chapter 10: End Of Part One and Summary Of The First Nine Chapters:

Basically, the story so far is that Carter, Terry, Tod, Alex, Clear and Billy have been set a project for their trip to France. (Which we all already know they never actually get to)

Of Course, Carter being Carter, tricks them into going to the drive In Movie instead of studying. Eventually, after almost leaving Billy behind, Terry persuades him to go and he takes them all for what he calls, 'a little drive'. Unfortunately, this turns into a nightmare, as they get lost and then to top it off the car runs out of gas (Petrol to us English people) and so in conclusion they are stranded in the woods. Now Tod wouldn't be Tod if he wasn't a cocky little git, so he has a go at Carter which somehow, and don't ask how, results in Tod, Alex and Carter falling off a cliff. This turns Tod into a walking hyperactive nightmare for a while, but eventually he calms down. Alex just becomes moody, and here's the best part, Carter turns into a real gayo. Yeah, you heard me right. This becomes apparent after he thinks Tod is 'cute' and then sees the digital clock telling him that he loves Tod, which then results in him smashing the clock with a can of anti-freeze. Cool or what? But it gets better. Billy, Clear and Terry then disappear for a while, as they go to look for a gas station or any form of help. This leaves Tod, Alex and Carter alone in the car. Alex goes to sleep, leaving Tod alone with the now gay Carter. Anyway, Carter makes a few 'dodgy' comments and Tod, scared of being a 'guy alone in the woods' with him decides to go and look for a phonebox. Then Alex wakes up, and Carter takes this as an opportunity to ask him if he's ever thought he acted gay. Nice move. Then they both go back to sleep. Carter wakes up to Tod banging on the window. He couldn't find anything, so he gets in a stress and gives up. Carter decides to get them both drunk. He persuades Tod to go and climb trees with him in the forest, and so off they go. Once there, Carter challenges Tod to go up a tree and get a pine-cone, which Tod successfully completes. Meanwhile, Billy, Clear and Terry have now got themselves lost somehow. They are about to give up when a car comes along and decides after a lot of misunderstanding to drive them to the nearest gas station.

Back in the woods, the now both very drunk Carter and Tod are wearing pine cones on their heads and deciding what to do next to pass the time. Carter suggests trying on the girls clothes, and after a long drunken discussion they go up to the car and find Terry's things, with the line, "It's party time."

__

What can I say? The plot so far works pretty well. I am therefore an undiscovered genius. I can't wait to write part two, I've got to admit I've never written about two drunken guys trying on girls clothes before, but hey, I'll give it my best shot. Look out for the next part soon, it's taken less than a week to do this much can I just say, partly because I am just so dedicated to anything FD related, and partly because I am just devoted to my work, and never give up. Sure, at times I thought the plot was going nowhere, but reading the summary it's quite good, all I need to do now is find something else funny to happen. Oh yeah, and one more thing, why has Carter become the main subject of the story? Poor old so-called hero Alex has so far been left sleeping all the time. How fun, I mean I would have thought he could have found something more interesting to do than that, even if he did fall off a cliff and break his arm.

Anyway, part two is coming soon so be ready for more quality entertainment.

See ya.

****

Part 2: Triangles, Trauma and Trousers

Chapter 11:

He delved into the bag, retrieving a pair of white peddle pushers and a pink top.

"Cool," he commented holding them up in the air. He put them back and dived back into the bag of goodies, messing up all the neatly folded clothes in the process. "What should I wear to the ball Todina?" He asked in a silly high-pitched voice. He pulled out a short blue skirt and a stripy top this time. 

Tod put his thumbs up. "That is soooo you Cartrina," he said, playing along with the game. 

"You think so?" Carter replied, striking a pose, obviously taking the piss out of Terry. 

"Oh yeah, but what about me?" Tod sighed sadly as he sauntered over to the bag. He picked it up and tipped its contents out onto the road. There must have been at least ten different outfits to choose from. "I haven't got a _thing _to wear..."

They both burst into fits of laughter.

The Car slowed down beside a building. 'Gary's Gas', the sign read. The back door opened and out got Billy, followed by Clear and Terry.

"Well, thanks for the ride," Clear said gratefully as they walked up to the door.

"You can have a lift back if you want," the man offered kindly, leaning out of his window. "It's no trouble."

Clear shook her head. "No, It's okay, we'll be all right."

"Okay then, if you're sure..." The man replied, as he put his head back inside the car. In a second he had driven off, out of sight.

"Thank God we got rid of him," Terry exclaimed as they pushed open the door.

"Got rid of who?" A voice interrupted their conversation. Startled, they looked up to see a scratty looking man standing behind a counter. Clear cleared her throat, deciding not to give him an answer. 

"Oh, hi," she started. "You Gary?"

"Yeah. What do you kids want? I'm all out of those finger bikes. I know you kids go crazy for finger bikes. Yesterday, I had about what must have been twenty kids crowding round my counter saying 'I want my finger bike, have you got any finger bikes, can I have a finger bike?'-"

"No, we can assure you we do not want finger bikes," Clear interrupted, a smile never crossing her sensible face. "I think it's a lot more serious than that."

Behind her, Billy and Terry were struggling to contain the laughter. 

"What is it then?" Gary asked them.

"We need gas," Clear announced, once again the leader of the group.

"You don't say," Gary mocked. 

"Well, can we have some? Or do we have to wait for you to make another smart-arse comment?" Clear said pissily losing her cool.

"You don't have to be like _that_," Gary sighed. Clear could see him muttering something along the lines of 'Youth of Today', and clenched her fists in frustration. "Where's your car?"

"Oh, it's not with us, you see, it kinda broke down and-"

"Oh I'm sorry kids. Finger bike crazed youngsters I can handle, but not broken down cars. You'll need a mechanic for that."

Clear forced a smile, and leaned on the counter. "Oh, that's okay, because we don't need a mechanic," she said in a sweet voice. "But we could sure use a can of gas to take back to the car with us."

Gary returned the smile and bent down to fetch something from under the counter. He brought out a yellow container. He lifted it up and placed it on the counter.

"That'll be $10.95 please," he said unenthusiastically. 

Clear dug into the pockets of her brown suede jacket to retrieve the money. She sighed, slightly annoyed by the fact that she was paying for something which Carter should have bought. 'But that was Carter for you' Clear thought as she passed the notes over. 

Soon, they were walking back along the side of the road. Billy was carrying the gas, not because Clear wasn't strong enough but because he had offered. He liked Clear. A lot. But he was afraid to tell her. He turned to her and smiled. 

'Billy's kinda cute,' Clear thought as she smiled back. She didn't know why she was thinking this, but she was. It was just over the last couple of days she had noticed that, maybe, maybe he wasn't as much of a geek as she first thought. And so what if he was kinda goofy? She had decided she liked that quality. They carried on walking. The car couldn't be that far away now.....

"Da da daaaaaaaaa!!!!" Tod yelled out of tune as he appeared from behind the car. He was wearing a long strapless green dress. Carter clapped as he took a drink of another beer.

"Look at me, I'm a beauty queen," Tod squeaked. By now his voice was slurring badly, and as he attempted to walk forward in Terry's black platforms he couldn't keep a straight line. The bottom of the dress caught under his feet, sending him flying. Quick as a flash, Carter leapt forward and grabbed him, just in time. 

Tod smirked, hiccuping.

Carter smiled back. "Yeah Todina. I think we can safely say you won that round." Carter's voice was slurring too now. I think It would be fair to say that the two of them were absolutely pis- I mean very drunk indeed. Carter, or should I say Cartrina, was wearing a tight pink blouse with a short black leather skirt. 

"Ooooh!" he squealed suddenly, grabbing Tod by the arms. "I have a really good idea."

Tod hiccuped again, swaying from side to side. "What?"

"It's........PROM NIGHT!" Carter yelled at the top of his voice. "So get on your prom dress baby and let's go!"

Tod tucked his elbow in his side and waved his fingers. "Oh you." He imitated a girlish giggle. 

"Carter!?" Terry screamed, half shocked, half confused. "Oh MY GOD!! What are you doing, wearing MY clothes?"

Carter leapt a mile away from Tod, the smile instantly wiped off his face. He looked up to see Terry, Billy and Clear staring at him intently, as if demanding an explanation.

"Come on then! What the hell is going on?" Terry was angry now. She marched past Carter and snatched the clothes off the floor. Carter opened his mouth and held a finger up as if he was going to start explaining. He didn't. His mouth opened and closed like a goldfish, but nothing came out. Terry narrowed her eyes as she stuffed the clothes back into the bag. For the first time, she took a good look at him. In her clothes. And she felt absolutely disgusted.

"Are you............feeling okay baby?" 

Carter stared at her. He was so drunk it took him a few seconds for his brain to process what she had just said.

"I er, was just wearing your clothes," he announced. Terry gave him a filthy look. 

"I can see that," she replied, hands on hips. Behind her, Tod stood giggling sheepishly.

"Ugh! And what is that, that _freak_ doing in my best dress?!" Terry cried, noticing Tod for the first time.

"Stand back old buddy," Tod said brushing Carter aside. "I'll field this one."

Carter stared at him, wondering what on earth he was going to come out with.

"You see, me and Carter fell into a river down in the forest and-."

"A _river_?" 

"Yeah, a river and we were leaning right over to get my, er, my er..." Tod struggled.

"Kite?" Carter attempted to help.

"Yeah, my kite, cos we were flying my kite and er-."

"You brought a _kite _with you?" Terry asked, not believing a word of their ridiculous story.

"Yeah, you can't go wrong with a kite," Carter interrupted.

"Yeah, so anyway, we dropped my kite in the river so that's why we haven't got it anymore," Tod announced, thinking himself clever for covering his tracks.

"Just skip to the part where you got my clothes on will you?" Terry demanded. "I'm absolutely _dying _to know how that happened."

"Oh, that's the easy part, cos um, er we fell in the river and our clothes got wet," Tod completed his voice slurring considerably.

"And I cleverly remembered that you had some clothes in my boot, so we took off our wet clothes and changed into some of yours," Carter finished it off.

"So," Terry asked deliberately deciding to wind the guys up. "Where are your wet clothes now?"

Carter screwed up his face, trying to come up with something reasonably believable, but Tod leapt in before he had a chance.

"We threw them down the cliff."

Billy and Clear shot a knowing glance at each other and smirked. They stood silently, watching the whole episode take place before their very eyes.

"Why?" Terry questioned slowly.

"Because ants got in them and they were about to get in the car so we had to throw them far, far away over the hills." Tod scratched the back of his neck, not able to look Terry in the eye as he told this obvious lie.

Carter gave Tod a worried glance, not sure what Tod was about to say next.

"Oh they were killer ants, like this big," Tod explained holding his hands about a metre away from each other to demonstrate size. "They could have got us for sure."

"Ah-ha," Terry answered, enjoying the conversation herself now. "So you're saying, you had to throw your clothes down the cliffs because metre long ants had infested them. Yeah right."

Billy could take it no more. He suddenly burst into fits of laughter.

"That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard!" He cried, holding his stomach, his eyes watering.

Tod shut his mouth now. Although he was blind drunk, he could see that this had gone far enough.

Terry came closer to Carter. She looked as if she was about to say something, but instead she stepped back.

"Carter? You've been drinking," she stated, catching the smell of alcohol on his breath. All eyes switched to Carter's face. He hiccuped.

"No.....I haven't," he replied sounding completely and utterly drunk.

Terry bit her lip. "Yes you have Carter. Now what was it this time? Vodka, Brandy? JD?"

"Beer actually," the words slipped out of his big mouth before he could stop himself.

"Ouch," Tod exclaimed from behind them. "You're in trouble now dude."

Carter turned to him and forced a smile which made Tod feel very uneasy.

"You promised me no more alcohol Carter!" Terry replied angrily, staring straight at him. She sounded very hurt as she spoke. "You promised me you wouldn't do this to me!"

There was an awkward silence. Nobody spoke, and all Carter could do was stare down at his feet, which he began to shuffle in the dusty road.

"Geez Terry I'm sorry."

"Well sorry isn't good enough," Terry answered sounding more like his mum than his girlfriend. "How did you get this one past me then? And how many have you had? You're absolutely pissed!"

Tod rolled his eyes, getting fidgety. He yawned.

"Does anyone mind if I go and sit in the car now? I'm getting kind of tired," he said in his usual croaky voice. "I might as well get the hangover over with."

Nobody answered, so he just walked over and opened the door himself. 

Billy and Clear felt out of place standing there beside them.

"Look, Terry," Clear announced. "We'll leave you two alone for a while, to sort things out."

Terry nodded, and Clear took Billy by the hand, leading him to the car. 

****

Chapter 12:

"Carter, we are gonna have to seriously consider where this relationship is heading," Terry explained, standing at least a metre from her drunken boyfriend.

"It's heading nowhere Terry. We both know that, so why don't we just stop going out here and now. Finished. Over. The end of the line sweetie. You're dumped."

Terry gasped in shock. "Carter? Surely you can't mean that."

He shrugged and for the first time was able to look her in the eye. 

"You're drunk. You don't know what you're saying," she continued, feeling a lump beginning to grow in the back of her throat. "Carter, we have been going out for over two years now. Are you just gonna stand there absolutely pissed out of your head and tell me that you don't wanna be with me anymore?"

"Yeah," Carter begun, thinking at the time that he was making the right decision. "That's what I'm telling you."

Terry's face seemed to crumple in pain. Carter immediately felt sorry for her, but it was too late now. Full of guilt, he tried to touch her arm, but she jumped back as if she had just had an electric shock.

"Just leave me alone."

Before Carter could stop her, Terry had marched off down the road. He wondered where she could be going. There was no point in calling her back now. He knew Terry, and once she was in a mood nothing could snap her out of it. He could hear her crying as she disappeared in the distance.

"God Alex, all you've done is sleep the whole time we've been stuck here," Billy remarked when Alex opened his eyes. He yawned.

"Why? Has anything interesting happened while I've been asleep?" Alex replied doubtfully. Immediately, Clear and Billy shot a glance at each other knowingly. If only he knew. Clear looked across to Tod, who was sitting in the passenger seat. He looked at her pleadingly, as if begging her not to tell Alex, his best mate of about fourteen years that he had just been caught wearing his worst enemies, girlfriend's clothes.

"No, not really," she sighed. Alex looked out of the window. He could see Carter, but not Terry.

"Hey, where the hell's Terry?" he asked. At that moment Carter turned to them from outside. Then he sat down on the ground, staring into space.

"Geez, what's up with him now?" Alex said unkindly. He rolled his eyes.

"Maybe someone should go and find out what happened between him and Terry," Clear suggested. Immediately, all eyes were on Tod, who put up his hands in defence.

"No way," he declared shaking his head. "I'm drunk remember. I'll probably only say a load of crap that'll hurt his feelings."

Nobody else seemed to be making a move, so Alex slowly reached for the door handle.

"Fine then, I'll go."

He got out, slamming the door shut behind him. Carter looked up suddenly as he heard the noise. 

"Hey," Alex begun, feeling slightly awkward.

"Hey." Carter's voice was slurring and croaky all at the same time. he sounded as if he was about to cry.

"What's up then?" Alex asked, as he sat down beside him.

"I'm not sure really."

"Well, do you wanna talk to me about it?" Alex asked, sounding like a social worker. He looked at Carter's pained expression and for the first time in his life, almost felt sorry for him. He could barely believe that this was the same guy who had thrown him in the sandbox in kindergarten.

Carter shrugged. Alex sighed, deciding that he was not exactly the most sympathetic person in the world when it came to solving other people's problems.

"You can talk to me Carter, if you want," Alex attempted to make his voice sound caring, but it didn't sound right. How could he stand here and be nice to the person who'd made his life at Mt. Abraham high school a living hell since his first day?

"What's there to say?" Carter answered dismissively. It was obvious he didn't really want to talk about it. "I, er, I er just broke up with Terry."

"No way man," Alex suddenly realised that he had almost said this happily. He cleared his throat. "I mean I'm, er, very sorry."

Carter turned his head to face him. He didn't speak. It was as if he couldn't say anything, or if he tried to he'd suddenly burst into tears. Alex began to feel very awkward. He started to get up.

"I don't know why I said it," Carter spoke softly almost to himself. Alex stopped.

"Said what?"

Once again Carter shrugged. "I told her that she was, er..I told her that she was dumped. Then she walked off."

Alex sighed. So once again it was all down to Carter. Always his fault. He was about to decide that he didn't want to have anything more to do with him when he stopped. He looked at Carter's face, and he could see that he was truly sorry. 

"Oh man, it'll be all right," Alex tried to offer some words of comfort, trying to rid himself of any negative emotions he was feeling towards the guy. Carter looked down at the ground.

"Do you think I should go after her?"

"No, she'll come back soon. You just need to give her time Carter. She'll know you didn't mean it. I mean, you were drunk and-."

"And I still am," Carter finished. He suddenly realised that he had totally ruined his 'hard' image and felt angry with himself. "Why you being so nice to me anyway?" The words came out sharply. Alex stared at him for a moment.

"Because I, well...I don't know really. Maybe it's because nobody else would."

Carter looked up, wondering whether Alex actually meant that and whether anybody actually did like him anymore. He always knew that not many people liked him, but he didn't care because he had Terry. But now.. Well it was different now.

"Really?"

Alex glanced back to the car, where the faces of Clear and Billy were pressed up against the window, watching him. As soon as they saw him, they turned away. Alex wondered where Tod had got to, but there was no time to think about that right now. He began to shake his head. He couldn't tell Carter the truth. 

"No." He couldn't find the words to express why exactly he had come over to him. Maybe it was out of pity, but he couldn't really say that to him could he? 

"Are you okay now?"

"Yeah," Carter lied, scared he was going to start crying in front of the person he'd scared the hell out of for the past four years. "So I guess your job as a counsellor is over. You can piss off back to the car now if you want, where _your_ friends are waiting. I suppose I'd better stay here on my own, cos I haven't got any friends now. I haven't got anyone anymore."

Carter's face had turned away from Alex, but he knew he had outstayed his welcome, and that Carter just wanted to be alone. He walked silently back over to the car. This trip had changed them all, in some way or another.

__

Writers Note springs to mind here: One word: 'Awwwwwww!' How sweet, Carter's really upset. I just want to apologise to anyone who just read that and didn't like the fact that it wasn't particularly funny. (Well, It wasn't intended to make you burst out laughing anyway.) But I was not in a particularly happy mood when I wrote it. I have bought the Final Destination DVD and the alternate ending is really really sad. (Not in the funny way, I mean 'sad' sad, as in unhappy?) Anyway, basically Carter's crying at the end when he's standing by the memorial, and it's just so sweet....I know Rosie thinks he's ugly, but she is sooooo wrong. Anyway. That's the reason this chapter has been very sentimental. So I'm gonna shut my mouth now and carry on doing what I do best......my story. See you in about 7 chapters? 

****

Chapter 13:

Terry wiped the tears from her eyes as she walked along the side of the dusty track. Her mascara had run down her face and she looked a total wreck. She wanted to go home, she wanted to get some fresh clothes on, have a bath and go to bed. She wanted something to eat and she wanted this whole thing to stop here and now. But most of all she wanted Carter. She didn't know why, but there was nothing in the world that could stop her loving him. She started crying again, silent tears running down her cheeks. 

Another writers note: Calling all comedy book fans......I'M SORRY!!!! But as you can see I have a talent for pulling at the heartstrings too....well, maybe not.****

She felt angry with him for doing the stuff that he did. He did a lot of stuff that upset her. He shouted at her, he sometimes said horrible things to her, but deep down she knew that he didn't mean it. He was often drunk. She had become used to it. But never before had he told her they were finished, whether he was drunk or not. This time he _did _mean it. She dried her eyes. Crying was pointless anyway. What good did letting water spill out of your eyes ever do for anyone? Nothing. It just made your throat hurt and your eyes sting. Terry didn't cry that much. She had learned to put up with Carter over the past couple of years. But it was over now. 

She had come to a turning. And there was no point carrying on walking anyway. Her feet ached and she was exhausted. She just wanted to get out of here......

"Are you all right Terry?" It was Tod. How he had found her she didn't know, but she didn't really want him around. Embarrassed, she wiped her eyes with her hands, turning her back on him.

"What are you doing here?" She replied, not answering his question.

"I wanted to make sure you were okay." Tod was still drunk. She knew that because his voice was still slurring slightly. She suddenly didn't care about what she looked like and turned to face him. He had dark circles under his eyes too. Being lost in the woods sure changed people. 'At least that's one thing we have in common,' she thought to herself. Terry didn't even seem to remember that only a matter of minutes ago this was the same guy who had been dancing around wearing her best dress. They shared something, and that was all that mattered.

__

Writers note number 3: I think I'm gonna be sick. This is turning into way too much of a love story. I **don't do **love stories okay? At least, that's what I thought. Now I'm not so sure, cos I'm pretty good at it really aren't I? Note to self, don't watch the deleted scenes of Final Destination before sitting down to write this, and PLEASE STOP doing these writer's notes. I know I am spoiling this story by doing this, but I just want people to know that the comedy will return, It's just that we're in the 'triangles and trauma' section of part 2 at the moment.

Tod smiled faintly.

"Thanks."

"Oh, it's nothing. I'm really sorry," Tod apologised, assuming that the fact that Terry and Carter had split up was all because of him.

"It's not your fault," Terry replied quickly. "I know you don't usually do this stuff."

Tod scratched the back of his neck wondering whether she actually knew some of the stuff he'd got up to in the past. According to Terry he was just a goody-goody who never did anything wrong. 

"It was Carter's beer wasn't it?"

Tod stared for a moment, but decided the best thing to do was to tell the truth. He began to nod slowly.

"I knew it!" Terry snapped back. "He told me he wouldn't drink anymore. He _promised _me, and that's what makes me so angry!"

"Hey, hey," Tod reassured her, taking one step closer. "Calm down. We all do something wrong from time to time."

She looked up at him. "Even you?"

Tod rolled his eyes. She really did think he was a real goody-two-shoes now. 

"Yeah," he said, sounding almost proud. "Even me."

"But he told me he wouldn't drink anymore, and all the time he had a secret stash in his car."

Her expression changed then. She clenched her fists by her sides. "You know what, fuck Carter. I don't need him. I don't need him doing this to me, tearing me apart like this."

"Oh, Terry..." Tod attempted to say something worthwhile but he couldn't. "It was my fault for going along with it. I should have made him stop. I shouldn't have let him do it."

"Tod, will you stop blaming yourself? I know it was all Carter. It always is. Who got us all stuck out here in the first place?"

Tod thought for a second. She had a point there. He decided not to answer.

"Whose fault was it that you and Alex fell off a cliff, whose-."

"I shouldn't have said what I said Terry," Tod answered her, raising his voice. She looked him straight in the eye.

"You don't _have _to keep making excuses for him all the time Tod," she told him sharply. "I don't know why you even bothered coming after me, it's not like we were friends or anything."

"I came after you, because," Tod paused. "Because I care about you."

**** __


	2. Triangles, Trauma and Trousers continued

__

Did you know..........At the memorial service, a Lady in a purple outfit walks behind Alex down the aisle...Twice.

That shocked Terry into silence. It took her a few seconds to realise what he had just said. And she wasn't sure she could trust this guy anyway. After all, he was drunk, just like Carter had always been....

"You do?"

Tod stared her straight in the eye.

"I do," he stated confidently. "That's why I came after you."

"Oh Tod," Terry sighed, conflicting thoughts running through her mind. 

She took another step closer to him. 

He smiled at her. Yes, he was drunk, that was true, but as far as he was concerned he was thinking clearly. He had fancied Christa and Blake, but he had come to realise that it was just never gonna happen. After all, Christa hated his guts, as Alex had pointed out not so long ago, and Blake was going out with his brother. It was just since they had been stranded in the woods together that he had found that he liked Terry even more. 

The sun was starting to set in the sky. They had been stranded almost a whole day and night. 

He turned back to Terry. She looked at him again, their eyes meeting. 

"Tod, do you really mean that?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

She stepped forward suddenly, taking him by surprise. There was nothing more to say. Terry reached out and touched his hand. He put his arms around her, pulling her even closer to him. 

"I care about you too," she whispered as she rested her head on his shoulder. She felt tired, and wasn't really sure what she was doing. Before she knew what was happening she was looking into his eyes. Then she kissed him.

As much as he hated to, Tod pulled away. This wasn't right. He felt as if he was taking advantage of her. She didn't love him. He could try and make himself believe it but deep down he knew that the only person she truly loved was Carter. 

"Terry, why are we doing this?" He asked, holding her at arms length.

"I told you Tod, I don't need Carter. Not anymore," Terry replied seriously. "I've got _you_ now."

Tod tried to argue, but when it came down to it he just couldn't resist losing his virginity before Alex.

"Woo-hoo!" he thought. "Tod one, Alex nothin!"

__

I'm sorry if you think that's sick, I do actually, but you can't tell me that's NOT how a 17 year old boy thinks can you? Exactly. And let's not forget we are talking about a 17 year old boy. Tod is a 'lecherous'character apparently, I read it on a website. You don't wanna meet him in a dark alleyway....

By the way, that's mean to be the only comedy line of the whole chapter.

I doubt I will show this to anyone. It has just got too weird. I said before, I DO NOT write love stories, yet here I am writing one. Why? It is meant to be a funny story, you know, where you laugh? I don't know why I am doing this but I can't stop now, cos you wanna know what happens next don't you? And, to put any minds at rest, I have NOT been watching American Pie. That's not on for 6 hours yet stupid! And Rosie can sit there getting jealous cos Sean William Scott's in it (Billy) and she thinks he's the cutest. Awww, what a shame, I'll be able to see him tonight and she won't. Ha. (I think I had better shut up now, but bear in mind that if it wasn't for the writer's notes, you would have thrown up a long time ago.) Oh yeah, and one more thing, I better do something about the last couple of lines quick because they're really dodgy. REALLY dodgy. 

Tod looked at Terry. "Yeah, I guess," he replied as he leaned in to kiss her again.

__

AND THAT'S **ALL** YOU'LL BE GETTING OF THAT.

****

Chapter 14:

"Can someone please tell me where the fuck Tod is?" Alex yelled pacing the ground.

"For Christ's sake Alex get a grip!" Clear cried back.

"We have to stick together. We can't let people just go off by themselves. And to top it off, he's drunk. He can't walk a bloody straight line. For all we know he could be dead in a ditch somewhere."

"Great," Billy replied sarcastically. "Then at least Christmas will come early."

Alex shot Billy an angry look. "Hey, lay off him Billy. He's my best mate okay?"

"Guys, we've got the gas now. We can get in the car and find our own way back. Maybe we'll see him along the road somewhere," Clear attempted to calm them all down.

"And what about Terry?" Carter said from behind them. He wouldn't turn to face them. His eyes were red from crying. "She could be dead in a ditch somewhere too." His voice started quivering again.

"Oh Well done Alex!" Billy said clapping sarcastically. (He likes being sarcastic doesn't he?) "Go and upset Carter again."

"Oh well I'm soooooooo sorry!" Alex yelled back. "I'm sorry for upsetting poor baby precious bloody Carter! I wouldn't mind but I didn't see _you _rushing to help him before did I? Oh no, that was just left up me!"

"Terry _and _Tod will be fine!" Clear shouted suddenly interrupting the argument. "And as for us, we've got to learn to get along or we'll never get out of here, ever!"

"Right then," Alex agreed angrily. "So what do you suggest 'Miss Sensible?'"

Clear didn't hesitate in her answer. "I suggest, Alex, that we put some gas in the bloody car, how's that for a start?"

Alex threw his arms about like Kevin the teenager for a second, before walking over to the can of gas. 

"Hey,hey,hey,hey,hey, Alex, no!" Billy warned as Alex bent down to the can of gas. Alex pulled a face at him as he straightened up. 

"What do you think you're doing trying to pick that up with a broken arm?"

Alex had, funnily enough almost forgotten that his arm was broken. He looked pissed off to say the least.

"Billy, I am perfectly capable of-."

"Billy's right Alex. Let him do it," Clear leapt to Billy's defence. Billy smirked at Alex as if to say, 'I told you so', and rolled back his shirt sleeves. He thought he was so ace. And while all this was going on, Carter sat with his back to the lot of them. 

"He sure looks depressed," Alex commented to Clear as he stood by, watching Billy fill up the tank. 

"I know," Clear agreed. "What can we do to help him?"

"I dunno. But who would have thought that Carter would crack up like that?"

"Alcohol does that to people Alex. You know, the extreme emotions, all that."

"Yeah," Alex agreed, although he knew inside that he'd never been drunk before. His parents were very boring. They enjoyed bird-watching and hiking. They never had parties and they never kept alcohol in the house. One thing Alex had never had the privilege of experiencing was raiding the drinks cabinet, cos they didn't have one. And to cut a long story short, Alex wasn't old enough to buy alcohol for himself, as in America they have weird rules like, 'You can't go into bars or something until you're 21', but you can, 'drive at 16.' I don't get it.

Alex couldn't drive either. Simply because he couldn't be arsed. He was quite a lazy git to be honest. 

He smiled at Clear. She smiled back.

'I'm in there,' Alex thought. 'I am gonna win the bet for sure!'

You may be thinking, what bet? Well, it was a really stupid sad bet which 

is the kind of thing American teenage boys go in for. _Really sad. _You

know what I'm talking about. 

(A Final Writers Note- It is now3 hours encounting to the premiere of 

American Pie on Sky Premier, so I haven't actually seen it yet.)

That note was a clue. I don't wanna go into it really. No, I don't. 

Billy finished filling up the tank. He tossed the empty can onto the

ground.

"Litterbug," Alex muttered, still pissy about the fact that Billy, can you 

believe it? Billy the class goofball thought he was better than him. 

"Well, I suppose all there's left to do now is get in and go," Alex 

announced, rubbing his hands together. 

"Who's gonna drive?" Clear asked, although she already suspected that

the answer would be her. "Carter's in no fit state to do it. He'd probably

go crazy at the wheel and drive no handed onto some railway track or

something." She laughed at the ridiculousness of the statement. 

__

(If only she knew eh?)

"Yeah," Alex agreed, laughing. Carter spun round. He eyed them 

suspiciously, but he didn't speak. For the first time, the other three saw

the state he was in. His eyes looked awful. He had obviously been crying

a LOT.

"Oh my God Carter, what have you done?" Clear asked, shocked.

"Nothing," he snapped, spinning back round, realising they had just seen 

his face.

"I can't drive," Billy said sadly. "My dad set me up for a test in a couple 

of months."

"Right, well I guess it's gonna be me then isn't it?" Clear answered, 

sounding slightly irritated. 

She walked around to the driver's side. "Carter? Where are the keys?"

He didn't answer.

"Right, well I'll just have to figure it out for myself then won't I?" she 

said almost to herself. She opened the door and got in. Clear looked 

around for a moment. She noticed the glove compartment and opened it

up. She put her hand inside and felt around blindly. Her hands touched 

something heavy and made of glass. Sighing in despair, she pulled it out.

It was a bottle of vodka. 

"No wonder he's so fucked up," she muttered, glancing over at the wreck

she once knew as Carter Horton.

"Hey," Alex said, leaning against the side of the car. He noticed the

bottle.

"What's that?"

"Carter's vodka," Clear said as if she were a butler.

"He really should lay off that shit," Alex breathed.

"So he's been told. But he won't listen Alex. There's nothing we can do

to help him."

Can I just say, what sensible level headed teenagers they are? Oh, well 

apart from the American-Pie style bet that is. (Now that _is_ immature, and 

just for the record, something which I would NEVER do.)

They both looked at Carter then. And they felt sorry for him.

"Let's not mention it to him," Clear decided sensibly. "It'll only make

him worse."

"Well, come on then, let's get him off that bloody floor. He's been there 

almost two hours for crying out loud."

Alex walked over to him. 

"Carter, we're all set."

Alex nearly jumped out of his skin when Carter turned around. He HAD

made a mess of his face. There were huge red patches and what looked 

like scratch marks. Alex couldn't contain the shock.

"Jesus Carter, what the hell have you done?"

"What does it matter? Nobody likes me so why should I care?"

"_I _like you!" Alex yelled, suddenly losing control. "Where did you get a 

nutball idea like that?"

"_You _like me? You of all people should hate my guts. Don't you 

remember fourth grade with the locker to the head? Or maybe you've 

forgotten the cherry bomb in the boys toilets? I've been a real bastard to 

you, I'm not surprised I've got no friends."

Alex wished he wouldn't try to get sympathy this way, but it was 

working. He sighed.

"Carter, that stuff doesn't matter right now," Alex replied, glancing at the 

scar on his left arm from an incident with the monkey bars in seventh 

grade. "What matters is that we get in the car and go find Terry and 

Tod."

"Terry hates me," Carter answered feeling sorry for himself. "And Tod 

won't want anything to do with me either, since I was being a real bent 

bastard with him. I don't know what was wrong with me."

"Excuse me? Are you trying to tell me you were gay?" Alex said in 

disbelief.

"Er, no," Carter replied, not very convincing.

"Well," Alex began, his hand on his forehead. "It's all coming out now 

isn't it? Any more revelations before we get in the car?" He paused

suddenly, as if remembering something.

"Hang on a minute.....that was _you_ who put the cherry bomb in the

toilets?

I was off school for a week you horrible git!"

Carter flinched. Alex immediately realised he'd made a mistake in saying 

that. Carter was, unstable to say the least.

"Oh man, I'm sorry," Alex apologised, though he was sure it was actually

Carter that should be apologising.

"Why? It was all my fault," Carter replied, shaking his head. He finally 

started to make a move and made his way to the drivers seat.

"Er, Clear's offered to drive," Alex put in.

"Why?"

"Face it Carter, you're in NO state to drive," Alex explained. He laughed 

to himself. "Clear thought you might go crazy and try to kill yourself by 

stopping the car in the middle of a railway track or something."

Carter smirked. "Oh, there's time for that yet."

Alex wasn't sure whether he was joking or not. (Well, all the Final D 

Fans know the answer don't we?)

He got in the back instead, with Billy. Alex rode 'shotgun' or whatever 

the American term for sitting in the passenger seat is, I know a LOT of 

American phrases.

Clear was still searching for the keys.

"Carter, since you appear to have regained the power of speech," she 

began sarcastically. "Could you please tell me where the hell the keys are,

or do we have to play gay guessing games again?"

Carter flinched at the word 'gay', trying to put that whole episode beside

him.

"Yeah, they're in my pocket," he answered finally, passing them over.

"Thanks."

Within Seconds Clear had started up the ignition.

****

Chapter 15:

Tod looked at Terry.

"Tod?"

"Yeah?" Tod replied as he painted an imaginary 'one' on his and Alex's 

betting 'scoreboard of success'. (You know, their sad American-Pie bet)

"When the guys find us, are we gonna tell them?"

"We'll see," Tod answered smarmily inspecting his nails. Then in his 

mind he thought, 'They'll be at least one person who has to find out.'

__

Beneath the gentlemanly 'Must not take advantage of poor innocent 

girl', exterior, he's a bit of a caniving little sod really isn't he?

"What does that mean?" Terry asked buttoning up her cardigan to the 

neck. 

__

Writers Note: That is soooooooo DODGY. Forgive me.

"I won't tell anyone, I swear," he lied, crossing his fingers behind his 

back as he pulled on his 'sad' to say the least V-Necked stripy sweater.

"I don't know what Carter would do if he found out," She said, almost as

a warning. "He'd probably kill us both."

She laughed nervously. Tod straightened out his sweater and smirked.

"Yeah. You did mean what you said about him though didn't you?"

"Of course," Terry replied indignantly.

"You're not just gonna dump me and start going out with him again as

soon as we find them are we?" Tod was being a bit irritating now.

Terry took him by the hands. "No, Tod. You're the one that I want now."

'Well, well,well,' Tod thought cockily as he kissed her again. 'Sad old 

Tod beat Alex at the bet. I am soooooo gonna enjoy telling him that.'

But a thought suddenly struck him. He needed evidence. Otherwise Alex 

wouldn't believe him.

"Hey, Terry?"

"Yes Tod?"

"Would you mind If I went to that Garage down the road and bought one 

of those cameras?" Tod asked, making the final adjustments to his 

clothes.

"Why would you want one of those?" She replied, wondering what the 

hell he could want a picture for.

"I guess I just want a photo of us together," he answered.

"Well sure, it's not far from here."

They started walking hand in hand along the road. Yes, I think you could 

safely say that Tod was back to his usual smarmy git self.

Carter was silent as they drove along in the darkness. Not like him at all 

really. 

"Where the hell have they got to then?" Clear asked, squinting into the 

pitch black.

"Who say's they're together?" Carter snarled suddenly. 

"Well, no but, I just thought-."

"Yeah well you don't just think, Clear," he snapped back, suddenly 

springing back into bullying mode.

"Sor-ry."

"I'm sorry to have to break into this but do you think that we could have 

at least one conversation where it doesn't result in one person having a go

at another?" Billy interrupted.

Clear didn't reply. She just kept her eyes on the road, of course being the 

sensible one. 

"God, how far does this bloody road go on?" Alex remarked, staring out 

of the window.

"How should I know?" Clear replied sharply. Behind him, Billy rolled his

eyes in despair. He knew nobody ever bothered to listen to him.

They passed a signpost, but they were going so fast they couldn't see it

properly.

"Woah, woah, woah, go back, that might be important!" Alex yelled.

Clear jumped and immediately slammed the car into reverse. It rolled

back to the sign. 

"What's so important about that?" Billy asked angrily. It was only the

sign for the garage. 

"For Christ's sake Alex you nearly gave me a heart attack!" Clear yelled 

angrily. "We already know where the bloody garage is!"

"Sorry, sorry. Just being careful, that's all," Alex apologised, holding his 

hands up.

"Oh yeah," Carter suddenly spoke from the back seat. "And watch the 

paint-work will you?"

"Yes sir," Clear replied sarcastically as she glanced at him in the rear 

view mirror. She saluted as if she was in the army. Then they were off

again.

"Tod, can I just ask you one question?" Terry asked as they walked back 

down the black road with their arms around each other. Tod was looking 

at the camera, wondering how he was gonna get a decent shot in the 

dark.

"Ah-ha."

"Why is it so important that you have to take a picture of us? There's no 

way you'll ever get it to develop right at this time of night. It doesn't even

have a flash on it."

Tod sighed, realising she was right. 'Oh well,' he thought. 'I'll have to do 

it tomorrow.'

"I guess," he replied. "But how are we ever gonna find our way back to 

the car now?"

Terry didn't have time to answer. Suddenly they were blinded by 

headlights.

Just in time, Tod grabbed her and pulled her into the bushes on the 

roadside.

"Tod, what are you doing?"

"Shhh. We can't let them see us together or they'll suspect something," 

Tod whispered back. He looked through a gap in the branches. Carter's 

car had gone.

"You're such a dick!" Terry yelled from behind him. "They wouldn't

have suspected _anything._ Thanks to you I have to spend another night out

here in this nightmare!"

"Listen Terry, Carter went crazy since you walked off and left him. Don't 

you realise what he's gonna think the moment he sets eyes on us?" 

"But what If I don't care anymore about what people think!" Terry yelled 

back, beginning to lose it. "Who's gonna know? We don't have to say 

anything."

Tod thought for a moment. Maybe she had a point. But it was too late 

now, they'd missed their chance.

"I know but-."

"But what Tod? We were only walking along the road together, you can't 

tell me they can get ideas from that!"

"Believe me, they can," Tod answered, remembering how Alex had 

grassed on him to the teacher in fourth grade, all because he happened to 

have Alex's dumb propelling pencil in _his _pocket at the time. Of course,

Tod knew _he _never stole it, and he still stuck by his story that aliens put it

there.

****

Chapter 16:

Alex walked along the aisle. He picked up a tin can, and squinted, trying to read the extremely small writing on it.

"Prune Chunks in Pineapple juice, yuck." He said to himself. He was starving hungry and all he could find was disgusting prune chunks in pineapple juice. Great. He moved along, trying to find something decent.

Carter appeared around the corner, counting some coins he had just removed from his pocket. He looked at Alex and smiled faintly. Alex took that as an invitation to start talking.

"Hey Carter, what you getting?"

"Dunno. Everything's shit at this garage."

"Tell me about it," Alex agreed, putting the can back on the shelf. "Where are the donuts?"

Carter laughed. "They don't have any."

He seemed a bit happier now he was in the warm, but Alex knew he was just putting on a brave face. Inside he was shattered. 

"Well, what _do_ they have?"

"Um, I saw some of those malted milk ball things, whatever you call them, Billy'll probably get a massive bag of those," Carter told him. 

"Then he'll spill them everywhere," Alex sighed, remembering how clumsy Billy was. "And I hate them anyway. What about sandwiches?"

"Yeah, they've got some round the front," Carter answered.

Alex, unable to contain the starvation any longer pegged it to where the sandwiches were. He was a bit disappointed with the choice, but then beggars can't be choosers can they? He picked up a couple of chicken spread sandwiches and went off to find the drinks. He was dying of thirst.

Eventually, he appeared at the counter staggering under the enormous amount of food. Clear stood at the counter, debating the prices of road maps with Gary. (You know, the garage guy.) 

"Jesus Alex, how much have you got there?" Billy asked in disbelief.

"I am starving Billy, and who knows how long we're gonna be stuck here," Alex replied thinking he was smart.

"Not long I should think," Clear answered as she paid for the map. She held it up. "With the help of this I can safely say we'll be home in a couple of hours."

"Oh," Alex said sadly, suddenly feeling about five inches tall. Billy moved up to the counter now. He dumped a huge bag of malted milk balls (Malteasers to English people who, might I add have a better taste when it comes to chocolate) and a can of coke on the counter. Then, feeling humorous, he added,

"Oh yeah and a finger bike as well please." Billy began laughing uncontrollably. Gary opened his mouth to start his lecture when Clear interrupted.

"Just ignore him, he's being a dickhead," she warned, pointing to Billy. Alex of course didn't get the joke, but even Carter smirked. 

"Well, thanks for your help," Clear announced when Carter and Alex had paid for their stuff. They walked over to the door.

"See ya," Gary called after them.

"Yeah! Food at last!" Alex yelled ripping open his paper bag. He started stuffing sandwich into his mouth before they'd even reached the car, which, to give you a scale of closeness, was only about two metres away from the garage itself.

They sat in the car and began to eat. Even Carter seemed happier now he'd got something. 

"You know," Alex began. "This is kinda fun when you think about it, kinda like-."

"-Like a camping trip!" Billy butted in.

"Yeah!"

"I suppose you're right Alex," Clear said, for the first time getting involved with their ridiculous statements. Alex, Billy and Carter's jaws dropped open in shock. 

"What? You're actually agreeing with that?" Billy questioned suspiciously.

Clear nodded. 

"But it sounded, so, so immature," Alex carried on, admitting his juvenile behaviour.

"No it didn't," Clear replied indignantly as she took a bite out of her sandwich. "Me and my dad, we used to go on trips like this all the time. We'd just set out on the open road together, then sit eating in the car, kinda like us now."

"That sounds cool," Alex answered, treading carefully as he knew Clear's dad had been murdered when she was ten.

"Yeah, I wish my parents had done stuff like that with me," Carter commented. "But they were always doing their own stuff. Like having parties."

Alex turned to face him then.

"My parents are exactly the opposite," he said. "They're always on at me to go on some dumb hiking trip somewhere. They NEVER have parties."

For once in his life, Alex wished he could be Carter. In his opinion, it would be cool to have parties at your own house and get drunk. 

"So," Billy started, smiling at Clear. "How do we get back?"

"Easy," Clear answered, smiling back. She turned around to face him and opened up the map. Tracing her finger along the route, she explained.

"All we have to do is follow this road till we get to the turning, then right here," she said pointing at an intersection. "We go down this main road, which gets us back on the highway. Then we're back in town."

"You make it sound so easy," Billy answered trying his best to sound in awe of her. He really was getting to the point where he had to tell her he liked her.

"It is."

Billy leaned back in his seat, wondering how and when he was going to explain his feelings to Clear. He figured he would just have to wait till they were back home. 'Back Home,' the thought suddenly struck him. He jumped forward in his seat.

"Won't our parents be worried about us?" He asked anxiously. "What if they've called the cops?"

Alex cringed. His parents were so over-protective they probably had Mulder and Scully on the case at that very second. 

"Mine probably have," he said, toning it down a little. "I mean, we have been gone a day and night."

Clear suddenly went silent. She knew her parents wouldn't be worried about her. Her dad was dead, and as for her mum, well, she might as well have been dead too. She was never home anymore. Not since she'd re-married. No, at that moment she was probably off on a cruise somewhere, not giving a damn about her only daughter.

"My mum won't care either," Carter said suddenly as though he could read Clear's mind. "She just assumes I've gone off on a drinking spree or something."

"For twenty-four hours?" Billy asked, not really believing him. 

"She just assumes it whatever amount of time I'm gone," Carter replied about to admit one of his biggest secrets. "She thinks I'm an.....an alcoholic."

An awkward silence followed.

"Maybe I am," he added uncertainly.

Clear shook her head vigorously, though in her mind she wasn't so sure.

"You're not an alcoholic Carter. Your mum's wrong."

"Yeah," Billy put in, offering some words of comfort. (As if)

Alex was beginning to get pissed off by the fact that everybody else seemed to understand what being drunk was like. He folded his arms and decided he wasn't going to get involved in the conversation unless they started talking about something interesting.

"Alex? You all right? How's your arm?" Clear asked suddenly changing the subject. Finally, the conversation had turned to him. He decided to play the sympathy game.

"Owww! It really hurts Clear," he whined, clutching onto it. 

"Oh, you poor thing," Clear replied softly.

Billy glared from the back seat, but Alex just smiled smugly. They were playing a dangerous game battling for Clear's affections but to be honest they were quite enjoying it. Not that Clear knew of course. She was just trying to be nice to everyone.

"Oh, do you think you could find me something to wrap round it?" Alex whinged, while at the same time watching Billy's pissed off expression.

"Oh sure Alex."

Clear started looking for any kind of blanket of cloth to act as a sling. She found a small piece of material down by the side of the seat and started wrapping it round Alex's arm. Billy couldn't stand to watch her touching him like that. He had to think fast. He grabbed some coins out of his pocket and chucked them on the floor.

"Oh Clear, I think I dropped some money down by your seat," he called out eagerly. "Do you think you could pick it up for me?"

Alex immediately gritted his teeth in anger. It was obvious Billy was trying to spoil his chances.

"Geez Billy can it wait? I'm kinda in the middle of something here," Clear replied, causing Alex to shoot a smarmy smirk at Billy. Billy composed himself and smiled back sweetly.

"No, I don't think It can," he said, although he knew it could really. Clear hesitated for a second, before letting go of Alex's arm.

"Sorry Alex, do you think you could do it yourself while I pick up Billy's money?" She told him.

Alex felt fit to burst. As Clear leaned down he turned to see Billy painting an imaginary one in the air, mocking him. Thoroughly pissed off, Alex bit his lip and turned around to face the front.

"Yeah," he replied, as he attempted to make his own sling. After about ten attempts he got it to stay on. He looked in the rear-view mirror, to see 

Billy silently laughing and pointing at him. Alex was one step away from beating the crap out of him, but he knew he would lose with a broken arm.

He also knew that no matter how infuriating Billy was, they had to stick together.

"So, Finished everyone?" Clear asked handing the coins to Billy.

"Yeah," Alex replied, stuffing his rubbish back into his paper bag. 

"There's just one thing," Clear began as she turned the keys in the ignition. "What are we gonna do about Tod and Terry?"

"I bet they've found their own way back already, the smarmy gits," Alex muttered under his breath. Carter still heard, but decided there was no point sticking up for someone who didn't love you anymore.

****

Chapter 17:

Tod opened the door of the phonebox, followed closely by Terry. They had been very lucky to find it, and they weren't entirely sure it was still working anyway. He picked up the phone and put twenty cents into it. Nervously, and shivering from the cold since he had given Terry his sweater, _(Adding to the gentlemanly image that we actually know better about) _he tapped his home number into the dial. In anticipation he tapped his fingers on the side of the telephone. Terry had her arms around him again, looking up at his face waiting from someone to answer.

"Pick up you bastards," Tod whispered, copying a line off 'Titanic.'

The phone suddenly burst into life at the Waggner house. Rubbing his eyes, Jerry Waggner leaned over to pick up the receiver. His voice was dry and croaky from sleep. (Like father like son eh?)

"Hey, Dad?" a voice which sounded exactly like his son said.

"Tod?!" His answer was a mixture of shock and confusion. "Where the hell are you? You're mum's been killing herself over you!" He suddenly became angry.

"I'm in a call-box somewhere Dad."

"Somewhere? What's that supposed to mean? Why didn't you contact us?"

"It's a long story Dad, but when we were meant to be studying, Carter's car ran out of gas and we got stuck in the woods and,-" Tod noticed that he was down to seven cents. "I haven't got time to explain Dad. But me and Terry need you to-."

"Who's Terry?" His Dad interrupted suddenly. 

Tod smirked and looked at her standing snuggled up beside him wearing _his _sweater in the call-box.

"Oh, she's......a friend," he answered. "But we need you to come pick us up."

"Well how do you suggest I do that when I don't know where you are!?" Jerry Waggner yelled suddenly. 

"We can give you the number of the call box," Tod told him, hoping that would be helpful.

"You can try that, look Tod, I'll see what I can do okay? I bet you're freezing to death out there."

"Yeah," Tod answered. He noticed he was now down to four cents.

"Well come on, what's the bloody number?" 

"Oh yeah, its er," Tod began, his eyes scanning the call box for the number. His found it and put his finger on it. "Double one, three, four, five, two, double seven, zero, eight," he read.

"Right," Jerry told him. "Hang in there son."

At that point the line went dead. And all Terry and Tod could do was wait.

"What did he say?" Terry asked, staring up at his face.

"He's gonna take the number of the call box and try to find out where we are, then he's gonna come and pick us up," Tod replied. "I suppose until then, we've just gotta keep warm." He rubbed his arms, starting to regret giving away his sweater.

"We'll be fine Tod. You should stop worrying. If it wasn't for you I could have been hopelessly lost somewhere by now," Terry replied. 

Carter's car pulled up outside Alex's house. It was plunged into darkness.

As Alex pulled at the door handle he glanced at his watch. It was 2:00am.

He yawned, suddenly feeling the tiredness catch up with him.

"You okay Alex?" Clear asked from the driver's seat. Billy and Carter had already been dropped off, and Clear had promised to get his car back in one piece the next day. Clear could barely keep awake at the wheel, and Alex feared for her safety.

"Clear?" Alex asked, wondering whether he should say what he was thinking. He decided to follow his instincts. "Why don't you stay over at my house tonight?"

Clear rubbed her eyes and looked at him. 

"I'm fine Alex," she replied, but as she said it she could hardly keep her eyelids from closing.

"No, you're not," Alex answered her, suddenly taking control. He took hold of the keys and turned off the engine. "You'll end up killing yourself if you try to get home."

"Alex," Clear began in her defence.

"No, it'll be fine, my parents won't mind, you can sleep on the sofa or something. Just as long as you don't try to drive home."

Clear realised he wasn't going to give up and undid her Seat belt.

"You sure?"

"Certain. And my Dad's a doctor, he can sort out my arm no problem," Alex answered, brushing all his own problems aside. 

Clear got out of the car, slamming the door behind her. She was so exhausted she nearly tripped over the kerb.

"Woah," Alex said jokily as he reached out to grab her. "We better get you inside."

He led her up the path to the door. Luckily, he had his own key and didn't see the point in ringing the bell and waking his parents. He was wrong. As soon as he stepped through the door he could tell they were awake. And waiting for him.

"Alex!!" Barbara Browning yelled running towards him. The light came on from nowhere, but it was almost as if they had been waiting in the dark with baseball bats or something.

"Mum? What are you doing up?" Alex asked in shock, letting go of Clear's hand.

"What am I doing _up_?" She repeated. "I've never been to sleep since you went missing!"

"I did NOT go missing!" Alex protested, although he supposed he had.

"And what the hell has happened to your arm?"

"Oh, that," Alex said quietly. "I'm not sure but I think it's broken."

"Broken!!" His mum was almost going hysterical.

"Shh, Barb it's okay," Ken Browning said entering the hallway. He walked over to Alex's arm and examined it.

"You're very lucky Alex. I suspect it's just a stress fracture," he explained with none of his wife's hysteria.

"You mean I won't have to go to the hospital?"

"Jesus Alex no, I can treat that myself." For the first time he noticed the young girl by his son's side. "Hello," he greeted her.

"Hi," Clear replied, suddenly feeling out of place. She couldn't stop herself from yawning.

"Well," Mr.Browning began looking at Alex. "Whatever you two have been up to, you both seem very tired."

Alex shot his father an angry look. He knew what he was thinking. That he had been out the whole time, alone, you know, with Clear. He had it so wrong. 

"So I suggest Alex, you go to bed now and your mother and I will sort out the sofa for Clear. Downstairs," his dad added for good measure.

Alex was so tired he couldn't face another argument. So he decided to let it go. He made his way for the stairs, trying to escape his mother's prying eyes. He turned to face the rest of them.

"Night Clear," he said. Clear opened her mouth but his dad leapt in first.

"_Night _Alex."

****

Chapter 18:

Carter lay on top of his bed with his hands behind his head. The light was off but the moonlight shone through the curtains. Obviously, his room was a tip. (Well, did you _honestly _expect anything different from him?) 

He lay back, thinking about stuff. Thinking about a lot of stuff, but in particular, Terry Chaney. (Yes we can put Tod's mind at rest now cos he _did _get her second name right.)

He knew he had really done it this time. Maybe she had been thinking about it for a while, maybe she had got sick of him, maybe she was about to dump him anyway, maybe....there were too many maybes. He couldn't just lie there thinking about stupid things like that. As far as he was concerned, whenever he imagined his life, he imagined Terry with him. But obviously that wasn't the design for him. He glanced across at his digital clock, hoping to God it wouldn't send him another message. It didn't. It just said, 3:30am. Although it was late and he was more tired than he ever had been in his life, he just couldn't get to sleep. His mind was racing. He wasn't even sure that Terry had made it home. He felt like crying again, but now he was on his own he couldn't. 

"Come on Tod what are you afraid of?" Terry questioned him as they stood together in the phone box.

"Nothing. I'm not afraid of anything," Tod answered quickly. "I'm perfectly okay about this."

But he knew he wasn't. His dad was gonna be there to pick them up any second and here was Terry wanting to score with him.

__

Ouch, I think I overstepped the mark there. Sorry. 

"Yeah, right," Terry replied sarcastically, grabbing him by the shirt. Tod was banging on the glass of the phone-box trying to come up for air when he heard the screech of tyres behind him.

He immediately grabbed Terry and pushed her away from him. She leapt back too. It was Mr.Waggner. Tod took hold of Terry's hand and pulled her out of the phone box behind him. Suddenly, it seemed to get a whole lot colder and he started running towards the car. He yanked open the back door and literally dived in.

Jerry Waggner turned around in his seat as Terry leapt in after him. 

"Oh, I see this is your 'friend', Terry," he said suspiciously looking at Tod. Tod was unable to look back.

"Yeah."

"Tell me, do you kiss Alex when he's feeling cold?" His dad questioned him unfairly. 

"Dad.." Tod started slowly. Terry just decided not to get involved and stared out of the window, thankful she was gonna be home in an hour or so. His father pressed his foot down on the accelerator and they started off down the road.

"It's okay Tod, you don't need to explain," Mr.Waggner replied putting him out of his misery. "But what you do need to explain is how this all happened."

Tod took a deep breath and looked at Terry. 

"Well, it's kinda a long story Dad."

"Well we've got quite a long time in the car, and since I got out of bed for you, I think I deserve to know why, okay?" His dad was getting irritated for being made to get up, but since Tod and Terry had been out in the cold so long it had completely woken them up. Tod decided to explain.

When Alex opened his eyes it was morning. The light shone through the curtains, brightening up his room. His arm hurt a lot, but at least he knew it wasn't broken. He could smell breakfast being cooked downstairs. That was probably one of the only things he liked about his parents. They could cook, which meant he didn't have to. Yeah, he was a lazy sod, but that's what happens when your parents run around after you isn't it? Feeling starving, he grabbed his dressing gown and made for the door.

"Oh Alex, nice of you to join us," his dad greeted him as he appeared at the bottom of the stairs. Alex nodded. Clear was sitting at the table with his parents. She was dressed and her hair was damp as if she had just had a shower.

"What time is it?" Alex asked sleepily.

"It's ten thirty," his mum answered as she poured out some orange juice into her glass. 

"About last night," Alex began.

"Oh, you don't need to bother explaining Alex," his dad interrupted. "Clear told us the whole thing, and we understand it was all that boy's fault, Carter?"

"Dad-."

"No, as far as I can see it seems that it was all his fault you got stuck in the forest and his fault you hurt your arm," his dad continued stubbornly. 

"No, it wasn't all his fault Dad. Just forget about it now, I'm home and we're all safe now, everything's okay."

Alex was getting sick of his over-protective parents. Always fussing about him, trying to blame other people. Mrs.Browning stopped buttering her toast and looked up at him.

"Are you sure darling?"

Alex nodded vigorously. Clear just sipped her coffee, hoping that Alex didn't think she had deliberately blamed Carter. After all, why would she do that, she knew just as well as Alex what state he was in. _And _she had to take his car back otherwise he'd start on at her over that as well.

"Morning Clear," Alex said finally noticing her. He pulled out a chair and sat down, rubbing his hands together wondering what he was gonna eat first. 

"Morning," she replied quietly, still wondering what he was thinking, but she needn't have bothered, because once he saw the pile of pancakes on the table he forgot everything. 

"The principal rang yesterday, he wanted to know where you were," his mum stated calmly.

"What did you say?" Alex replied stuffing his gob. 

"I said I didn't know."

"And?" Alex persuaded expecting her to say that she had sent out a search party for her beloved only son or something along those lines.

"And he offered to send out a search party," his mum continued, taking another mouthful of toast. Alex leant back casually in his seat. Yes, now was the part where she explained how worried she had been about him and how much she loved him and how special he was and all that other over-protective mum stuff.

"I said not to bother."

Alex nearly fell backwards out of his chair and almost spat out his pancake.

"You what?!"

"Well, I figured you'd turn up sooner or later," Barbara Browning answered clearly. Alex could hardly believe what he was hearing.

"Oh well thankyou very much for caring about me mum!" he yelled suddenly.

He almost got up from the table, but noticed he hadn't finished his breakfast. He had his priorities right.

Tod was watching TV when there was a sharp knock at the door. He heard his Dad walking across the carpet behind him.

"Oh hi Alex, come in," Jerry Waggner greeted him. Alex stepped inside.

"Tod's in the front room, but I don't think he's feeling too good," he explained as Alex made his way in.

"Hey Tod."

Tod picked up the remote and switched off the television.

"Hey."

"Where the hell were you last night?" Alex dived in with the questions immediately. Tod hesitated for a moment, remembering his promise to Terry.

"I decided to follow Terry to see where she was going," he said plainly.

"And? Did you find her?" Alex took a seat in the chair opposite his friend.

"Yeah," Tod sighed. 

"Oh, is that it? Is that all you can tell me after you just decided to disappear like that without telling anyone?" He was starting to get irritated by Tod's laid back approach.

"I didn't tell you where I was going cos I thought you might try and stop me, cos I was drunk."

"So you remember then?"

"Oh yeah," Tod replied dreamily remembering being with Terry on the roadside.

"What are you on? I was worried sick about you, you dickhead!" Alex couldn't believe that Tod could be so calm. He wanted answers. Now.

"Then what?" he asked forcefully, trying not to raise his voice too much.

"Then I found her. She was upset. I, er, I told her Carter didn't mean what he said," Tod struggled to explain further without giving Alex reason to suspect anything.

"And then what?"

Tod suddenly glared at him. "Then nothing Alex. I phoned my Dad and he picked us up and dropped Terry off at her house. End of story."

Something told Alex it was far from being the end of the story, but he realised he wasn't going to get anything out of him.

"Well, I just came to see if you were okay, that's all," Alex announced, deciding to leave.

"Alex, you don't have to worry about me anymore. I'm _not_ just this sad virgin who-."

"Excuse me? Did you just say you weren't a sad 'virgin'?" Alex interrupted suddenly regaining interest in the conversation.

"No," Tod replied, never showing signs of weakness. "I did not just say that at all Alex. What I did say however," Tod continued sounding like a lecturer. "Was that I am no longer who you think I am.....no, wait, scratch that. I mean, I am tired and I've got a bad hangover, so.. um......piss off."

Alex was taken aback. "Oh well if that's all the thanks I get for coming to see you I will," he announced getting up.

"No,no,no,no Dude, wait up!" Tod yelled back in desperation. But Alex had almost figured him out and he couldn't let that happen. 

"What now?" Alex spun round as his fingertips gripped the door-handle.

"We're still mates aren't we? I wouldn't want you to take offence to what I just said."

"Oh, you mean when you told me to 'piss off'?" Alex mocked holding his hands up. "Oh no, I didn't take any offence to _that _remark."

Alex opened the door feeling pissy and annoyed. He slammed it behind him.

Tod flinched at the sound. 

"Damn," he muttered. "Why can't people learn to shut doors properly?"

"What was all that about?" his dad asked coming into the room.

"Oh, Alex just came over to interrogate me," Tod said as he reached for the remote again. Thanks to Alex he was missing Due South. 

"Oh yeah? What about? That girlfriend of yours?" Mr.Waggner eyed him suspiciously. 

"I do not have a girlfriend," he lied as he turned on the TV. 

"Yeah. Right."

"Look Dad, can you go away now please? I kinda had a LOT to drink yesterday."

"Oh, I'm so sorry Tod," his dad answered sarcastically, swiping the paper off the coffee table in front of his son. "But you could at least tell the truth."

Tod smirked as he looked up at his father. "I already told you Dad. Terry is a friend. Now can you quit bugging me when I'm trying to enjoy this programme?"

He turned back to the screen, where Fraser was hanging over the edge of a cliff. 

"Cool," Tod said to himself as the mountie hung on for dear life. Diefenbaker suddenly appeared on the screen. He began to lick Fraser's hand. Fraser laughed uncontrollably, losing his grip and before Tod's very eyes he slipped and fell to his untimely death. 

"Best episode I've ever seen."

"Hey little bro!" A voice called. Tod turned his head slowly. It was George, wearing his high school jacket all because he was in the 'football Team'. Tod sucked when it came to sports. He preferred watching TV. 

"Have fun getting lost in the forest?" George asked, laughing.

"Yeah actually. At least I didn't have to see your face for a while," Tod said, annoyed.

"Oh, good comeback," George replied quickly. He put his coat on and started walking towards the door.

"Where the hell are you going?" 

"Out. With Blake," George answered expecting Tod to get angry with him. Instead, he just shrugged and turned back to the screen, where the 'old' Ray was yelling 'Nooooooooooooo!' down the cliff to where Fraser's body lay. 

"Who cares?"

"Well you were the one who asked," George snapped back, starting to regret him coming home. He reached out for the door handle and pulled it open.

"I'm off out then, you can sit there enjoying Due South if that's what you want."

The door slammed behind him once more, leaving Tod wondering why he was the only person who knew how to shut a door.

He turned back to the screen to see the mounties standing around a coffin. It was Fraser's funeral. Ray stood up to make a speech. Tod watched intently as he cleared his throat.

"We say, that the hour of death, can not be forecast," Ray read slowly, struggling to hold back the tears for his old friend. "But when we say this, we imagine that the hour is placed in an obscure and distant future. It never occurs to us, that it has any connection with the day already begun...."

"Boring," Tod said aloud, reaching for the remote. He didn't know why, but something made him stop.

On screen, Ray began to wipe the tears from his eyes, as he stood by Fraser's coffin. Diefenbaker let out a long howl. The crowds of people bowed their heads in respect.

".....Or that death could arrive this same afternoon," Ray continued. "This afternoon, which is so certain, and which has every hour, filled in advance."

Tod was silent now. There was something about that speech. Almost like he knew, that one day, it would mean something to him. At that second the credits started rolling, and the familiar Due South music began to play. A sudden breeze entered the room, wafting the papers on the coffee table in front of him. He turned, expecting the window to be open, but it wasn't. Reaching for the remote, Tod turned off the TV and decided to go out.

****

Chapter 20:

Carter picked up everything he owned that reminded him of Terry and walked out of his bedroom. He kicked open the door, feeling the anger build up inside him. Now he wasn't upset. He was mad, and going to prove that he was tough, he was mean, even though there was no-one around to see it. He carried all the stuff he had collected. Photo's, gifts, anything Terry had given him, or anything that reminded him of the time he spent with her.

He was going to get her out of his life once and for all. Blinded by rage, he picked up a pile of the junk and threw it down the stairs. They hit the bottom with a thud, but Carter was so angry he wasn't gonna let that stop him. Furiously, he tore up a photo of him and Terry standing by his car, and chucked it to the foot of the stairs with the rest of the stuff.

"Hey, hey hey!!" a strict sounding voice yelled. It was his Dad. "Would you mind telling me what the hell is going on here?"

"Oh piss off! Just piss off and leave me alone!" Carter snarled bitterly, getting ready to throw some more stuff.

"No Carter. Not until you tell me what's got into you! Do you still need to go to the hospital?" His dad didn't dare argue with a son like Carter. There was no point telling him to 'watch his language,' or something along those lines. He'd only get a mouthful back. Carter had always been a handful,

and his parents couldn't understand why. After all, they _had _given him that car when he asked for it, he got as much money as he wanted off them and whenever he asked for something he had it. Mr.Horton couldn't understand how, after having everything in the world he could possibly want, he _still_ turned out a spoilt brat. 

"I said Piss Off!!" Carter yelled, not even bothering to answer him. "I'm sick of you always going on, asking stupid questions!!"

He took back his foot and booted what was left of the stuff down the stairs.

"Well," Mr.Horton announced clearing his throat. "I'll leave you to have your little tantrum then. Don't mind me."

"Don't worry, I won't."

"And you can bloody well pick that mess up Carter!" His dad yelled, suddenly finding the confidence to shout back. Carter turned around defiantly and started walking towards his bedroom door again.

"No I bloody well won't," he cried insolently. He swung the door open with such force it slammed into the wall. "I do what I want, when I want."

He marched inside, kicking the door shut behind him.

Ten minutes Later, Mr. Horton was banging a broomstick against the ceiling.

"Carter! Turn that crap off now!!" he yelled, looking upwards. "Damn it Carter! All I can hear is screeching, it's disgusting! Turn it off NOW!!"

He had to scream at the top of his voice to be heard above the music.

Carter chose to ignore. After all, what did an old git like his Dad know? Exactly. Nothing. Instead, he walked over to the stereo and turned up the volume. Immediately Papa Roach blared out twice as loud as before. 

"Carter!!!" his dad screamed, but it was no use trying to fight against 'Last Resort'. He bashed the broom a few more times then decided to take action.

When he entered his son's room he was, to say the least displeased. Clothes littered the floor, his bed was a mess and books and CD's were scattered across the various desks and tables. Carter himself was sitting with his back to the door, with his head down, listening to the music, mouthing the words. Mr.Horton marched straight over and turned off the music. Carter's head jerked up immediately.

"Hey!!"

"No Carter, we are gonna have this out here and now-."

"No!!! There is NOTHING more to say Dad!!" Carter yelled, his temper flaring. 

"I said we are gonna have this out HERE and NOW!" Mr.Horton replied, taking control.

"And I said no. So get the hell out of my room!"

"No. What's it all about then? School? Football?" his dad tried to guess the possibilities. Carter didn't move. "...Terry?"

Carter suddenly looked down at the floor. 

"It's Terry isn't it? Tell me what's happened Carter."

"No fucking way," Carter replied angrily.

"You'll do what I say Carter, and _I_ say tell me what's going on! I can't have you living under my roof speaking to me like that! You will apologise to me right this minute!"

"No I won't. And I'm not telling you anything. Get out, just get out of my room and leave me alone!" Carter cried.

"Fine then. I will. But when you want your allowance this month don't think that you're-."

"Okay I'll talk," Carter said quickly, only thinking of himself.

"Right. Now calmly, explain to me what happened in the woods," his dad replied, lowering his voice.

Carter opened his mouth to speak, but at that second the phone started ringing from downstairs. Reluctantly, he moved towards the door.

"You better have something to say when I get back son," he said almost as a warning. Carter heard him walking down the stairs.

"Cut my life into pieces," Carter whispered to himself. "This is my last resort."

"Carter!" his dad yelled from the foot of the stairs. "It's somebody for you. Alex, I think."

Carter didn't feel like coming to the phone, but he somehow managed to drag himself off the bed, and down the stairs. He stepped carefully over the rubbish he'd thrown. Mr.Horton held the phone at arms length towards him. Scowling, Carter snatched the phone out of his hands and put the receiver to his ear. An annoying voice was yacking away on the other end.

"Oh hey Carter!" Alex greeted cheerfully. "I was just calling to see if you were feeling okay."

"Well I've got your answer. I'm not. I've never felt worse in my whole life," Carter replied staring at his tired face in the hall mirror. "I just feel like going into the kitchen now and slitting my wrists or something." He laughed shakily, unnerving Alex slightly.

"Yes well, anyway, how's your head?"

"It kills. I'm in a lot of pain, all right?"

"Maybe you should have gone to get it checked out," Alex said wisely. "I mean, if a fall had the power to turn you temporarily gay-."

"I was not temporarily gay!" Carter hissed, pressing the phone even closer to his ear. He glanced around, making sure his dad was out of sight. "Look Alex, I appreciate you ringing me and everything, but I don't really wanna talk right now."

"Don't you even wanna know where Terry is?"

Carter did want to know. He really did. But he didn't want to seem soft now.

"No."

"Well, I'll tell you anyway. She's safe. At home," Alex said calmly. "She got a lift back with Tod's dad."

"_Tod's Dad_!" Carter repeated in disbelief. "Why? What the hell was she getting a lift back with him for?"

Alex wasn't sure he should say the next part. "Oh geez Carter. I dunno...."

"TELL ME!"

"Tod found her, that's all. He called his Dad and they dropped her off. That's it."

"Oh yeah. That's it. And everything's great. For them, anyway. But what about me eh?" Carter questioned, his voice breaking down. "What about me? Carter Horton, the one nobody cares about? It's okay Alex, you don't have to say any more. I know all I need to know now."

"Like what, exactly?" Alex asked from the other end of the line.

"Like why Terry got a ride home with Tod and his precious father," Carter answered plainly. Song lyrics were buzzing through his head. 'Losing my sight, losing my mind....'

Alex sensed what he was implying. "Carter, that's ridiculous! Tod is the last person on earth Terry would choose to be with."

__

(Isn't it Ironic eh?)

"Like I care. She can have him if she wants. I'm through with Terry."

"But Carter-."

"Oh shut up Alex. Tod's welcome to her, the little slut."

"Carter, I hardly think-."

"I said shut up," Carter replied in a sing-song voice. 

"Carter, why are you acting like this?" Alex persisted.

"Because unlike you I can see right through them. Now if you don't mind, I have some important business to attend to."

He slammed the phone down onto the handset hard. Dusting his hands, he walked off back upstairs.

"You let me decide when it's time," he said evilly to himself. "I control my life, and I control my death. I'm never gonna die......... unless I want to."

****

Chapter 21: Basic Summary of Chapters 11-20 and my opinion of them:

Part two begins exactly where Part one finished. It starts with Tod and Carter, drunkenly trying on Terry's clothes. (Just for the record, a strapless green dress and black platforms for Tod, a tight pink blouse and short leather skirt for Carter) Or should I say, Todina and Cartrina.

Meanwhile, Clear, Billy and Terry are at a garage called Gary's Gas, run by an idiot called Gary who's obsessed by finger bikes. Clear assures him that what they need is far more serious, and asks for some petrol. He gives her some, and they start to make their way back. On the way, Clear starts to think Billy is cute.....(That makes two of you then Rosie- Kidding!)

In the meantime, Tod thinks he's a beauty queen, and then almost trips up and breaks his neck (appropriate?) Carter is just about to re-enact prom night, when the guys get back, finding them dressed as girls. Terry is absolutely disgusted, and demands an explanation, which Tod gives. Surprisingly believable actually, all about how they were flying a kite too close to a river, and they fell in the river, got wet, and had to change into Terry's clothes. (Yeah. Right.) Oh yeah, and killer ants about a metre long got into their old clothes, causing them to throw them far, far away over the hills.

Terry notices Carter has been drinking, and this is the part where we come to realise that maybe, he's got a bit of an alcohol problem. I like the JD comment, for anyone who doesn't know what that is, I only found out a couple of days ago myself. It's actually this drink, Bourbon, called Jack Daniel's, (JD?-Geddit?) Oh yeah, and in the film Alex says, "Why don't you lay off the JD then hah Carter?" I just had to use it in my story.

He apologises for his behaviour, but Terry is in a stress and wants to 'seriously consider where the relationship is heading'. Carter responds to this by unwisely telling her she's dumped. He immediately regrets it but it's too late.

So Carter's depressed then. Alex wakes up finally and goes to have a heart to heart, man to man talk. Carter eventually admits it was all his fault, and is about to cry. Awwwwwww! 

At the same time, Terry is crying her eyes out over Carter, walking along the road when, you guessed it, lecherous Tod appears. (I love that description.) Oh, I gotta hand it to him, his intentions are good, I suppose.......basically to cut a long story short he says a lot of stuff and then admits he 'cares about her'. Quite a general statement when you come to think about it. I care about people too, but that doesn't mean I go off into the bushes.......no, let's not go there.

Anyway, this is where my writers notes start to come in. I had to do them otherwise you'd actually think I was being serious. Yuck. Basically, they take off all the disgusting pressure the storyline is being put under. Gripping stuff eh? Tod is being quite a little sweetie to dear old Terry, blaming himself, but we know it's all an act.....don't we? Anyway, Terry then says she cares about him too which then results in them kissing on the side of the road. Pass me the sick bucket please about now.

Oh yeah, and how could I forget the 'virginity' comment? That went down pretty well if I might say so myself.

Alex, Clear, Billy and Carter put the gas in the car and decide to make a move back to the garage again. Carter has flipped and scratched his own face, guaranteed to make me think he's even cuter? I _don't_ think.

After a stupid joke about Carter driving onto a railway track, Clear decides to drive. She finds vodka in Carter's glove compartment, adding to his alcoholic reputation. Alex finally admits he likes Carter, and Carter admits it was him who caused Alex to be off school for a week due to a cherry bomb in the boys toilets.....hmmm.

Then, back to the Tod and Terry scenario. (God, do we have to?) 

Very dodgy stuff this. Something along the lines of 'American Pie' style bets and scoreboards of success, oh yeah, and people making dodgy comments like, "When the guys find us, are we gonna tell them?" Tell them what? Like we don't know.......

Tod decides that the only way Alex will believe he's won the bet is to get a camera. So off they go to Gary's gay gas station. On the way back from the garage, Carter's car approaches them and they dive into the bushes for an unknown reason. (Hey, I use my writers license-things don't have to make sense all right?) Terry is annoyed, saying that they wouldn't have suspected anything, but Tod isn't so sure, not since Aliens planted Alex's propelling pencil in his pocket in fourth grade. (Don't ask.) Alex is enjoying buying chicken spread sandwiches and of course, Billy gets those malted milk ball things from the garage. Clear buys a map, so Pure and Simple, (Thanks Hear'Say) they can find their way back now.

They sit in the car stuffing their faces, talking about what their parents did and did not do with them and camping trips. Gay stuff like that.

Carter finally begins to admit he has a drinking problem. Woo-hoo!

Clear tries to help Alex with his arm, but Billy fancies her like crazy so he deliberately drops his money on the floor to distract her. She picks up his money, and Alex is infuriated.

They start to drive.

Back to a phone-box in the middle of no-where, Tod decides to phone his Dad, Jerry. (Cool name eh?)

He tells his dad the number of the call box and then they basically have to wait. Oh yeah, and like a gentleman he has given Terry his sweater. 

Alex plays the mature sensible one when he refuses to let Clear drive home. He persuades her to stay the night at his house, but forgets how over-protective and presumptuous his parents are. His dad seems to think he's going out with Clear and sends him to bed, while his mum just goes completely hysterical. Nice homecoming.

Carter is lying in bed, thinking. He can't sleep, but I don't really know why I'm bothering to explain that, who really cares?

Terry is trying to 'score' with Tod in the phonebox. (Just get out your American phrase dictionary if you're too thick to understand.) But he's worried cos his dad's gonna be there any second. He's right, and his dad turns up just as Terry's giving him mouth to mouth resuscitation, (If you know what I mean.)

His dad is being slightly unfair, but in the end Tod decides to explain. Of course we don't want to hear the woods saga again so we cut straight to..........

Morning in the Browning's house. Alex is being a greedy git, while at the same time learning his 'over-protective' mum actually refused to send out a search party. Can you believe it? His dad reckons it's all Carter's fault (True) but Alex tells him to let it go.

Later, Tod is at home watching Due South. Alex calls round, and wants to know 'where the hell he was last night.'

Tod let's it slip that he's no longer a 'sad virgin', causing Alex to suspect something. Tod struggles to explain and ends up telling him to 'Piss off'. Nice one.

Alex stresses out and leaves, slamming the door. Tod wishes people would learn to shut doors properly. His dad interrogates him on Terry, but Tod lies and denies it all. Then George comes back on the scene. He's not there for long though cos he's off out with Blake Dreyer again. This time Tod doesn't give a damn. He turns Due South back on to see Fraser killed by Diefenbaker in mysterious circumstances. 'Old' Ray is yelling 'Noooooooo!!' from the top of a cliff.

At Fraser's funeral, Ray makes a familiar sounding speech, which you'll only 'get' if you've seen the film. 

Then, we go to the Horton's house. Carter is in a major strop, throwing everything that reminds him of his time with Terry down the stairs. His dad tries to argue, but we learn that Carter is a spoilt brat and so is very insolent and rude. We also learn at this point that he is a fan of 'Papa Roach.' His dad has to resort (geddit) to banging a broomstick on the ceiling to try to get him to turn it down. It doesn't work, so he goes up and turns it off. Carter stresses out again, but eventually agrees to talk, just in time for the phone to ring.

It's Alex. And they have a stupid chat which results in Carter believing that Terry and Tod are going out (not far from the truth really) and walks off muttering various lines he says in the film, such as 'I'm never gonna die,' and 'I control my life, and I control my death.'

That's basically all of part 2.

****__

I am sorry. But really, the dodgy bits are important I suppose. I tried not to overstep the mark, but I may have done.....once? Anyway, I'm writing this at about 11pm and I'm tired. Well, come on, give Terry and Tod a chance, even if you think it just 'ain't right'. We all know they're gonna split up sooner or later anyway, so why not give them a bloody break? In the meantime, I will be writing part 3 soon, so stand-by for hopefully more funny stuff. 

****


	3. Suicide, Splits and Spliff Club Seven

__

Did you know......Part of Tod's and Ms. Lewton's death scenes had to be cut to make the film an 'R', or for us English people, a '15'.

****

Part 3: Suicide, Splits and Spliff Club Seven

Chapter 22:

It was evening in the Waggner House. Tod sat at the kitchen table flicking through a TV guide, trying to find out what decent programmes were on. He was, to say the least, displeased, to discover that Due South had come to the end of the series. 

"Well," he sighed turning over the page. "I could always become a trekkie."

"Hey little bro!" George called out as the door slammed behind him. Tod raised his head from out of the magazine.

"Will you stop calling me that?" Tod asked irritably, annoyed that thanks to the stupid series finishing he was going to have to sit through re-runs of Dawson's Creek instead. Well, it wouldn't be so bad if he hadn't already seen them all.....

"Well what else do you want me to call you?"

"Um, geez I dunno. How about..Tod?"

"That's a stupid name," George replied smirking. "I'm so glad Mum and Dad actually put some effort into my name instead of just stringing three letters together."

Tod pulled a face and turned back to the TV guide. There _had _to be something worth watching. He flicked to the films page as George walked past him, over to the kitchen. Tod scanned the page for anything decent.

"Final Destination," he said aloud.

"What?" George called from the kitchen.

"A seventeen year old boy is going on a trip to Paris but experiences a terrible premonition before take-off," Tod continued to read. "Now he has cheated death. But for how long?" Tod shrugged and closed the magazine. "Boring," he sighed. "I could have more fun watching paint dry than sit through _that_ stupid film."

"Hey," George began re-entering the room with a chocolate milkshake. He pulled out a chair and joined Tod at the table. Tod had his head in hands, staring down at the page. "That kinda sounds like our trip eh? To Paris?"

"Yeah. Like our trip to Paris," Tod agreed doubtfully, wondering what the hell he was gonna do with his life. _(What life?- Cool irony there or what?- I'm proud of myself.)_

Just then Linda and Jerry Waggner came down the stairs, looking pretty smart. 

"Where the hell are _you _going?" George asked indignantly, annoyed that his parents seemed to have more of a social life than him.

"There's a party tonight down on the waterfront. We're staying in a motel tonight." Jerry Waggner answered. "So you'll have the house to yourselves this evening."

"Oh Dad-"

"No George," he turned to his wife. "Ready darling?"

"Yes dear."

They linked arms and walked out of the door.

George got up from the table and threw his arms up in the air in despair.

"Well that's just great!"

Tod didn't respond. He was too busy thinking. He needed to see Terry, to talk about what happened in the woods...

"I've got it!!" George yelled suddenly. Tod flinched at the sound of his voice.

"What?" he asked, not expecting any kind of good idea to come from his brother.

"Let's have a party!"

"What? You mean, a par_-tay?_" Tod asked in disbelief.

"Yeah. Here."

"When?"

"Tonight," George answered quickly, always acting on his impulses.

"Tonight?" Tod replied, not entirely sure it was such a good idea. "Mum and Dad, especially Dad, will kill us!"

"So?" George was already at the phone, dialling a number. "I'll get inviting people, you just go and set up the music or something." He flapped his hand at Tod, signalling him to follow his orders.

"But what am I supposed to-."

"Just do it! We haven't got much time!" George snapped back holding the receiver to his ear. Tod rolled his eyes and turned around, wondering what the hell to do.

"And what the hell are we gonna do about drinks?"

"Duh?" George replied making Tod feel like a baby. "There's all that stuff in the cellar still from Mum and Dad's anniversary thing."

"Fine," Tod answered dragging his feet across the floorboards. He pulled open the cellar door. It smelt damp and musty. It was also dark. He felt around for the light switch.

"Going to Tod and George's!" Alex called, grabbing his hooded jacket. He opened the front door. "Don't know when I'll be back." The door slammed as he walked off. Ken Browning was sitting in the arm-chair, reading the newspaper. Barbara Browning was watching TV. Neither had really listened to what Alex had just said.

"Okay dear," his mum said.

"Don't stay out too late," his dad added, never taking his head out of the paper.

Carter put the phone down. A party, at George's and Tod's house. George wasn't too bad. After all, they were in the football team together. Carter looked in the mirror and went up to the top of the stairs.

"Now," he said, talking to himself. "If one fall turned me gay, another one, will make me straight again." He wanted to make sure he didn't say anything bent to Tod again. He took a deep breath and put one foot forward. 

"Come on Carter!" he told himself. "You're a big man! You can do this!"

He didn't notice the convenient roller skate teetering over the top step. He closed his eyes, ready to fall. He could break an arm, a leg, maybe even his neck. But he had to do this, to make sure he was back to normal. He leaned forward, waiting for the moment when he would lose his balance and go crashing down to the bottom. He leaned forward a little more, then a bit further.....

"Carter!!!!!" His dad roared at the top of his voice. "What are you doing up there!!?"

Carter's eyes flickered open, his Dad's voice suddenly making him jump. He stepped back. Right onto the roller skate......

In a second his foot slipped from under him.

"Woah!! He yelled, desperately trying to regain his balance. But it was no use. The roller skate flew forward, sending Carter with it. He fell down the stairs with a crash, landing at the bottom on his back. He shook his head, trying to get rid of the stars he was seeing.

"Well," he announced to himself, getting to his feet. He began dusting his jacket down with his hands. "That's that out of the way."

He rubbed his hands together and took one last look at himself in the hall mirror before going out of the door.

Billy knocked on the door, hoping that people weren't joking him around again, like the time in seventh grade when Carter had pretended he was invited to the park after school. As you can probably guess, you got beaten up. He still had the scar on his leg from the kick. But, they were adults now, and they could put that all behind them couldn't they?

Tod opened the door, thinking he was ace with his sunglasses tucked onto the neck of his sweater.

"Oh hi Billy, come in," he said, pointing his hand towards the living room. 

There were quite a lot of people already there, including Alex, Clear, Carter and Blake. Teenage Dirtbag was blaring out of the stereo. Billy breathed a sigh of relief. At least it wasn't a prank this time. He stepped inside, and walked over to Clear.

"Hey Clear," he announced, trying his best to sound cool.

"Oh hi Billy."

"I was just thinking, do you wanna go and dan-."

"No," Alex butted in. "No, she's already dancing with me."

Clear looked at Alex, as if she didn't really know what he was talking about, but she didn't say anything.

"Right," Billy replied passively, suddenly feeling out of place. "Well I'll just go and get a drink then."

George was rushing around, asking people if they were okay and whether they'd got everything and stuff.

"Glad you could make it," he said to the four of them as he passed by. 

Tod stood staring at the door, biting his lip, staring at his watch. Waiting for Terry to arrive. He saw George walking towards him.

"George?"

"Yeah?"

"You _did _invite Terry Chaney didn't you?"

"For the last time, yes!" George replied angrily. "Why are you so bothered anyway? You're getting on my nerves."

"I just wondered, that's all," Tod answered. Maybe she wouldn't turn up, because Carter was there. Carter looked perfectly okay standing by the stereo.

He flicked through all the CD's. 

"Wheatus," Carter said to himself. "Nine Inch Nails, John Denver......" He stopped. "John Denver? Who's bloody CD is that?" He put it back and carried on looking. "More Wheatus, Offspring, Green Day... ah-ha!" He found a CD at the back that looked different. "Now this is gonna be Papa Roach." He pulled it out. "S-Club 7?" He asked in disbelief to himself. He turned around, holding it up. "Who's is this?" He yelled across the room to George. 

"Oh that?" George shouted back. "That's Tod's. He loves S-Club 7 you know."

Tod suddenly felt himself going red. Immediately, everybody started looking at him. Alex sniggered.

"Um, I'll be, back in a second," he said quickly making his way to the door.

****

Chapter 23:

He leapt out and took a breath of fresh air. Finally, out in the open. It was getting too stuffy in there. He ran a hand through his hair and sat down on the porch, looking down at the ground.

"Tod? You okay?" A voice asked. Tod looked up. It was Terry. He decided not to bother answering her question.

"I thought you weren't coming," he replied.

Terry laughed unsurely. "Well I'm here now," she told him. "What the hell are you doing out here anyway? Shouldn't you be inside with the others?"

"Yeah," Tod sighed, getting to his feet. "I just got a bit hot inside. I needed the fresh air."

"Well, let's go in then," Terry stated, making her way over to the door. She was wearing the long green dress. Tod smirked.

"Hey, you've got my dress on," he joked. Terry laughed.

"Yeah."

"Look, Terry," Tod started, wanting to get what he had to say over with. "About what happened in the woods, I er-."

"It's okay Tod," she reassured him. "You don't need to try to explain. I knew what I was doing."

"Did you?" Tod asked her doubtfully. "It's just that....." His voice trailed off.

"Yeah. Now come on, I'm getting cold standing out here," Terry said quickly, taking his hand. Tod still felt he had a lot more to say, but decided to forget it for now. Trying to put the fact that everyone in the whole house knew he was an S-Club 7 fan behind him, he followed Terry back into the living room. As soon as the door closed, Tod expected people to start taking the piss out of him. Instead, nobody even looked up. Terry dragged him over to the corner, where Alex and Clear were standing. 

"Hi guys," Terry greeted them. She turned to Tod. "Cool Party." 

At that moment, Billy appeared carrying some vodka. He handed them round. Terry looked over, and saw Carter messing about with the CD player. He looked up at the same time, and as soon as he caught her eye looked away again. Terry could tell it was going to be quite awkward.

A couple of hours later, it was five to midnight, and the party was still going strong. Alex was dancing with Clear in the space that was cleared in the living room, feeling light headed.

"Yeah," he thought to himself. "I'm drunk!"

S-Club 7's 'Two In a Million' was playing. Terry was standing alone on the side of the room, holding a half full glass of red wine. Suddenly, Tod appeared beside her.

"Hey," he greeted her. She smiled in reply, feeling slightly tired. 

From the other side of the room, Carter scowled. He was leaning against the side of the table, feeling drunk and not really sure of what he was doing. He glanced across to the other side of the room, where George and some other guys were passing a joint around. _(Now it's really **spliff** club 7 eh?- Just had to do it, sorry.)_

He sighed, and looked back to Terry. He suddenly felt depressed. He didn't want to be at the party anymore. Starting to feel sick, he put down what was left of his beer and went to pick his jacket up. He began to feel very dizzy and the world around him started spinning. He felt hot, and tired, and the music was now just a muffled roaring sound in his ears. He had to get out of here. Fast.

"Hey, where's Carter?" Tod asked, looking round the room.

"Who cares," Terry replied. "Come on let's dance."

And so they did. To Tod's favourite band, S-Club 7. By now it was S-Club Party playing. The faint smell of cannabis filled the room, making it well and truly a spliff-club party. _(I think I've kinda overdone that Joke now)_

To anyone who's reading this- I am determined not to turn this dodgy like the other 'Tod and Terry' stuff. So please don't read this and start thinking, 'Oh no, this is leading up to some dodgy stuff,' cos it isn't. So whatever you read, don't be fooled.

Billy sat down on a chair, also feeling drunk. (No, you don't say! God, what else do you expect?) He didn't care that he was on his own, cos he was a natural saddo. (A bit tight, but so?) He just sat and watched Terry, Tod, Clear and Alex dancing. The song had changed again now, to 'Teenage Dirtbag' for the second time. Billy listened, and imagined that he was the dirtbag, Clear was Noël (The girl in the video duh?) and Alex was the 'boyfriend'. He started to get angry. Then he remembered, that at the end Noël danced with the dirtbag, so he cheered up, until he realised that it was actually all a dream in the video anyway.

"Damn," he said to himself.

Carter stumbled along the dark road, feeling the depression rise up over him like a huge wave. (Mrs.Singleton, be proud. I _have _learned something about similes in my English lessons.) He could hardly make it to his front door. The whole street would have been pitch-black if it wasn't for the streetlights. His life was over. He struggled to open the door. He couldn't get the key to fit in the lock. His vision was blurring and he couldn't see what he was doing. He could try and bottle all his feelings up inside him. But it was no use. When it really came down to it, he couldn't live without Terry. And since he was without her, he decided that he couldn't live.

After what seemed like an eternity, the door finally swung open. Carter almost fell through the door, tripping over his feet. He went into the kitchen and splashed some water onto his face. Then he went back to the hallway and picked up the phonebook.

"Come on Tod," Terry said, smiling drunkenly. "Show me what your bedroom's like."

__

(Remember what I said about don't be fooled? This is NOT going to be dodgy.)

"No," Tod replied indignantly, pretty sure that she didn't just want to see what it looked like. And besides, he had all his S-Club 7 and Due South Posters up there.

"Aw, come on, I wanna know what your room's like!" Terry persisted, hanging on his arm.

"Well, it's pretty normal. You know, with a bed in it, and a wardrobe, all that other stuff. I really don't see why-."

"Shh," Terry interrupted, putting her finger on his lips to shut him up.

"Just a second," Tod answered quickly running towards the stairs. 

__

(Before you think- 'manky'- try to hold on to the one thing I tried to explain, DON'T be fooled by the dodgy scenario. It won't get any worse, I promise. Well, maybe a bit, but I definitely won't be overstepping the mark.)

He raced up to his room and ripped off the gay posters of Fraser and Diefenbaker, plus the massive S-Club 7 Posters. He decided to leave his X-Files one up. After all, chicks dig the X-Files right? (Yeah well) Then he ran back down.

"Come on then," he invited her, pulling her up the stairs.

****

Chapter 24:

Carter ran his finger down the page in the phonebook. He stopped on a particular article.

"Ah-ha," he said, pleased. He picked up the phone and dialled the number. It was only a matter of minutes before someone answered.

"Hello, Welcome to Kill-A-Lot Services," a woman's voice said. Carter opened his mouth to speak, but the woman carried on. "If you would like to book a consultation at our twenty-four hour killing centre, press one now....."

Carter realised it was a recorded message and sighed.

"Here goes nothing," he said aloud, pressing one on the keypad. There was a silence for a while, before the voice said,

"Please hold the line."

Last Resort started playing then. Carter smiled. His favourite song. He listened to it for a while, before the silence returned.

"We're sorry. Kill-A-Lot services does not have any appointments free at the moment," the woman's voice started again. "Please try again later."

Carter slammed the phone down, wondering what he was going to do now. He wasn't going to be deterred. This was it. There was no point in living. He couldn't try the stairs again, he'd already done that and nothing had happened. He walked off into the front room, and looked along the book shelf.

"Now let's see," he said to himself, moving along the rows of books. "How to Change a Lightbulb, Woodwork made easy, How to Groom Dogs, The ten steps to a better banister, ah, here we are," he reached the book he wanted. "How to Kill Yourself." He pulled it off the shelf and flicked it open to the contents page. "So much choice," he whispered as if he were a kid in a candy store.

Clear sat down in the chair. The music was still blaring away, and George was sitting on the floor, stoned. Billy was standing by the drinks, drinking one after the other, and Alex was next to him, encouraging him to get absolutely pissed.

'Wow,' Alex thought, although he wouldn't actually say the next part out loud. 'So this is what being drunk feels like.' He felt cool, and couldn't really think straight, but he had the confidence to do whatever wanted to. 

There were still quite a lot of people in the front room, but it was a tip now anyway. It wouldn't take a genius to figure out that Tod and George's parents were gonna go absolutely ballistic when they found out. Not to mention the fact that George had been smoking marijuana. (_Hey, so many different names for one drug eh?)_ Or that they'd used all the rest of the drink up from the cellar. Oh yeah, they were really gonna be in trouble now. 

"Billy?" Clear asked, suddenly glancing at him gulping down another vodka. "Don't you think you've had enough?"

"Aww, come on Clear," Alex replied. "He's going for the record. Come on Billy, you can do it!"

Clear sighed, wondering how it was possible to be so immature.

"Hey," she began again. "Where's Tod? He disappeared ages ago."

Alex looked at Clear and raised his eyebrows.

"Where's Terry?" he answered, obviously implying something very dodgy. _(But don't worry, it isn't.)_

"Oh yeah," Clear said, choosing not to believe what Alex was trying to say. "As if."

"Fine then, I was only saying," Alex replied. "Where are they anyway?"

"If I knew that I wouldn't have asked you in the first place," Clear said, feeling slightly irritated by him.

"Oh, nice room Tod," Terry said, looking around. Tod sat down on the foot of his bed, putting his glass on the bedside table.

"Yeah. I suppose it is really," he sighed without much expression. He wanted to know what the hell she was playing at. 

"Carter's room's always a mess," Terry commented, not able to believe how clean and Tidy Tod's was. She seemed impressed, so Tod decided it wasn't exactly the best time to admit his mum cleaned it for him.

"Oh yeah, well, I just like to know everything's where it should be," he lied, trying to make himself sound mature. He wondered why they were talking about boring stuff like that. Terry came over and joined him on the bed. _(NOT dodgy) _

"You like the X-Files?" Terry asked, looking to the massive poster in the corner. 

"Oh, yeah," Tod answered quickly.

"It's my favourite programme," Terry told him. 

"Hey, you know that episode, where there's that man, who's an alien, and he eats people's brains and then he goes to that meeting and then he goes and eats that landlady's brain and then.-"

"Tod," Terry interrupted. "You know I didn't come up here to talk about the X-Files."

__

(And that's definitely the dodgiest it will be getting. From this point onwards I swear there will be no more dodgy scenario's okay? So you can sit there in your little chairs and make fun of me, whatever that's fine, but I saved six lives on that plane, **six** lives- oh hang on, wrong speech.)

****

Chapter 25:

Carter put the finishing touches on his 'Death trap.' He pulled back the rope and glanced at the book.

"Step one thousand, three hundred and thirty-six, stand in target area and pull cord," he read, shrugging. "Well, at least I don't need adder's fork or blind-worms sting this time." He walked over to the area in his room where he had drawn a huge white chalk cross. He stood there, and reached out to the rope hanging from the ceiling.

"Now _this, _is going out in style," he commented to himself. He took a deep breath and took a final look at the guidebook. "Optional extras," he read aloud. "Choose some famous last words, or make a suicide video or note." he snapped the book shut. "Hmm. Good idea. Now, I haven't got a video camera, so a note will have to do."

He moved off the cross and sat at his desk, reaching out for a plain piece of paper and a pen.

"Dear suckers," he dictated to himself. "I got sick of this shit life so decided to move onto the next one. Terry doesn't love me anymore and I just don't see the point in living. To anyone who reads this, I leave all my stuff to Terry, and my dad can have a room in his house back. Oh yeah, and my car goes to the dog. Goodbye cruel world, Carter." He folded up the paper and wrote on the front of it, 'To whom it may concern,' then leant back in his chair. "Ah-ha, I think that hits the right note." He propped the note up against the wall by his desk and moved back over the cross. 

Then he pulled the cord...

"Right," Clear said down the phone sensibly. She could hardly hear the other end due to the music. "I'll go and tell them."

She put the phone down and glanced across to Alex. "Alex," she began approaching him. Alex was swaying from side to side, laughing and joking with Billy, who had now drunk virtually all the vodka there was. 

"Come on Alex, I need to talk to you."

"What?" Alex replied drunkenly.

"Let's go outside where I can hear myself think," Clear replied in a no-nonsense type voice.

"Why? I'm having fun here, stop trying to spoil all my fun!" Alex yelled back above the music. Clear wasn't going to try and argue with him. She grabbed him by the arm and dragged him outside onto the porch.

"What Clear?" Alex demanded as he leaned against the wall.

"It's about Carter," Clear started slowly. 

"Well come on, what about him?" Alex was getting impatient.

"He's in hospital."

"Why?"

"He tried to commit suicide," Clear finished off in a totally calm tone.

"What?!"

"When he left the party, he went straight home to try and end his life Alex. Why didn't we see how depressed he was? After he split up with Terry?"

"But how? What did he do?" Alex asked, intrigued.

"He set up a sign in his room. When he pulled a cord, a huge sign was meant to hit him in the back and crush him. But it backfired. He flew out of the window instead." How Clear said that without laughing I'll never know. 

"And? Is he okay?"

"He's in a coma at the moment. The doctor's say he didn't break anything, as a huge trampoline in the back garden broke his fall. But he smacked his head pretty hard," Clear explained.

"Is he gonna pull through?"

"I don't know. That's why, I need to find Terry and Tod," Clear suddenly grabbed Alex by the hand. "This is serious Alex. Carter could die. We need to find them. Now do you know where they are?"

Alex shook his head slowly. "No," he sighed. "But we could try to find out."

"Right," Clear agreed. She walked over to the foot of the stairs. Alex made his way through to the front room again.

Clear reached the top of the stairs. The lights all seemed to be off, making the atmosphere very different from downstairs. It was too quiet. 

__

(Can I just say, for the next part of the plot to work, you MUST co-operate with me. I apologise in advance for anything you may see as 'dodgy', but this is just the way it has to be because I can't be arsed to think up another fantastic idea. Remember one thing, it's the end for Tod and Terry anyway.)

Clear suddenly began to feel uncomfortable. For one thing, apart from in French class, she never saw Tod anyway, and it seemed a bit weird to be sneaking around his house at about two in the morning. Still, when it came down to it, Carter could die, and she needed to let them know.

Downstairs, the party was dying down. Alex ran across to Billy, who was sitting staring into space on the floor, an empty glass by his side.

"Oh Billy," Alex sighed in desperation. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Hi Alex," Billy replied, his voice slurring so badly Alex could barely understand what he was saying. 

"Billy, Carter's in hospital," Alex explained, speaking as slowly as he could to give Billy a chance to understand. It wasn't slow enough.

"Eh? I thought he was in this country," Billy replied stupidly.

"No, Billy. Hospital? As in, where you go when you're sick?"

"I feel sick," Billy answered ignoring Alex. "Can I go to hospital too? Are there beaches? Are there palm trees in this wondrous destination you speak of? I like beaches, and palm trees. Is there vodka Alex? Is there? Cos I'm not going to this 'Hospital' place if there isn't. Hey, where is it anyway? I hope it's one of those cool Hawaiian islands. What's Carter doing there anyway? Why didn't he invite me? How come-."

"Billy! Shut up!!" Alex yelled, unable to believe how stupid Billy could be. "Hospital," he repeated slowly. "Carter tried to kill himself."

"Why? I could have done that for him."

"Just let me finish will you?" Alex roared, losing it. "Carter is seriously ill. He could die tonight. I just came to let you know, that's all. I think we should go and see him."

"Huh, well I'm not," Billy said selfishly. "What did he ever do for me except knock me over with his car?"

"Fine then," Alex replied, knowing he was never going to get a sensible answer out of someone as drunk as Billy. "But I am. So you can sit there pissed and stoned out of your head because I don't really give a shit. Okay?"

Billy looked shocked then, but he continued to sit there, not making an effort. Alex felt disgusted with him. Yeah, he had had a few himself but he still had his common sense. Carter was his friend now, and Alex needed to see him, in case he never got to see him again. 

Clear hesitated for a second before opening the door. It was empty, and football trophies lined the shelves. This was obviously George's room. She sighed, feeling more uneasy by the second. She wondered whether Alex had found them by now. She turned to the next door, and knocked on it softly. 

"Tod?" she asked, hoping someone would answer. Suddenly the door opened, taking her by surprise. She hadn't honestly expected him to be in there.

"What?" Tod asked, wondering what the hell Clear was doing outside his room. 

"Is Terry there?" Clear continued, without a hint of suspicion in her voice. (Quite naive really eh?) Tod paused, wondering where all this was leading to. After all, it's not like they'd done anything wrong.

"Yesss," he answered slowly. "Why? Is there something wrong?"

"Well Yeah."

"What is it?" Terry asked, appearing behind Tod. 

"It's about Carter." 

"What? Is he all right?" Terry asked anxiously, wondering what had happened. Clear took a deep breath and decided to just come straight out with it.

"He's in hospital-."

"Why?" Tod interrupted.

"He tried to kill himself tonight, after he left the party. I just had a phone call from his parents. Apparently, they think you should go and see him Terry," Clear finished.

"Well, how bad is he? Is he gonna be okay?" 

"Yeah," Clear lied, not able to tell her the truth.

"Right, well I'd better go now then," Terry answered quickly, brushing past Tod. He started to follow her. Clear put her arm out across the door frame, stopping him.

"What the hell are you doing?" he asked, confused.

"Let her go alone Tod," Clear replied. "I think it's for the best."

Tod nodded slowly, and turned back to his room. Clear followed him in. She closed the door behind her, for the first time realising what had been going on over the past couple of days.

"I know this isn't really any of my business," she stated, leaning against the wall, suddenly feeling she had to side with Carter. Tod walked over to the other side of his bedroom, his back to her. "But do you have any idea of what you've put Carter through?"

Tod spun round. "What _I've _put him through?" he repeated angrily. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm not stupid Tod. I wasn't born yesterday. I know what's been going on with you and Terry."

****

Chapter 26:

"What?" Tod replied trying to sound shocked.

"Oh come off it Tod, there's no point lying now. Because of you, Carter tried to kill himself. Because of you, he could die." Clear's voice was hard and cold. It sent a chill down Tod's spine as he listened to her. "And because of you, Terry might not get the chance to say goodbye."

"Woah!" Tod yelled, throwing his arms up. "Are you trying to blame all this on me?"

Clear stood with her arms folded, not speaking, but he could tell exactly what she was thinking.

"If it wasn't for _me, _Terry might not have even made it back home. I found her, by herself, all upset over Carter. I helped her."

"Yeah. Sure you did. And we all know what that means." Clear was good at reading minds and sussing things out. It seemed the probable series of events for someone as heartless as Tod.

"Excuse me, but I really don't think it's any of your business Clear," Tod answered indignantly. "My Dad gave Terry a lift home. Who knows, maybe she would have killed herself if I hadn't been there to-."

"-To 'take her mind off it,'" Clear replied feeling disgusted with him. "You mean use her for your own selfish purposes. You make me sick."

"You don't understand Clear," Tod replied, lowering his voice. "I care about Terry."

"And is 'caring about her' all it takes with you then? You can put it any way you want Tod, but when it comes down to it you took advantage of the girl."

Tod shook his head in despair. 

"No, I didn't. She knew what she was doing just as well as I did."

Clear raised her eyebrows. "Listen to me Tod. She was heartbroken. She needed a shoulder to cry on. You were there. That's all it was, a mistake. But you have to drag it out don't you? _You_ have to play the victim all the time. It's never your fault is it?"

"Look Clear," Tod snapped back starting to get frustrated by her accusations. "I don't have to stand here and listen to you trying to make out that Carter's suicide bid was all my fault. If Terry believed it was a 'mistake,'" he continued holding up two fingers to show inverted commas. "Then why did she continue with the relationship? Answer me that one eh?" Tod smiled smarmily.

Clear couldn't think of an answer to that one yet. But she had got the one thing out of him that she needed,

"So you're saying there was a relationship between you two?"

"Yes, that's what I'm saying!" Tod yelled, sick of having to hide everything. He walked over to his bed and sat down. "What's the problem? Can't you just mind your own business? I swear to God nothing happened before she broke up with Carter. You may think I am responsible for Carter's suicide attempt but you can't tell me I go around splitting people up."

"No, I can't. But don't you think that was really insensitive?" she questioned, her voice softening a little. "To dive into a relationship with Carter's girlfriend, like, an hour after he broke up with her? If it wasn't for you Carter would have apologised and they would have been back together. Then none of this would have happened. You didn't give them a chance though did you? Because you, Tod Waggner," she said looking straight at him as she straightened out her arms. "You're just selfish."

Tod was silent for a moment. Then he found his voice again.

"I am NOT selfish!" he cried. "My whole life, people have blamed me. I'm the younger brother, the one nobody could be bothered with. The one who always gets into trouble for stuff other people do. You all seem to think I'm just a heartless uncaring bastard who doesn't care about how anybody else feels and who's sole ambition in life is to get off with girls like Terry. Well you're wrong." 

Clear stood still, not really sure what to say. She began to wonder whether she had been a bit hard on him. "You can go now."

"Oh Tod, I didn't mean to-."

"No Clear. It's okay with me, after all I don't give a damn about other people do I? I'm just selfish. You said so yourself."

Clear sighed and walked out of the door. 

"Well, I'm going to go and take Terry to the hospital now. I'll leave you to think about all this, and maybe try and get your stoned brother off the kitchen floor while you're at it," Clear finished, not able to leave without having the last word. 

Clear, Terry and Alex got to the ward at around two-thirty am. A nurse took them to the room where Carter was.

"He's in here," the nurse told them when they got to the door. "But don't expect much out of him. He's been unconscious since he got here." 

Slowly, Clear pushed open the door and the three of them filed in. Mr and Mrs. Horton were already sitting around the bed. Immediately, they looked up at the three teenagers.

"You," Mrs. Horton began sharply when she saw Terry. "It's your fault this has happened."

Terry didn't know what to say. She looked across at Carter, who was lying in bed with his eyes closed, wired up to all these weird looking machines. 

"Shh," Mr. Horton told his wife, taking her hand. "Don't start."

"Don't start?" Mrs. Horton repeated. "What else am I supposed to do when my only son tries to kill himself over a tart like her?"

Terry looked shocked, and immediately regretted coming to the hospital in her best clothes. But she knew how to keep her mouth shut, and starting an argument would only make it worse.

"I think we'll go outside for a while," Mr. Horton announced getting to his feet. "Leave you alone with him. Come on dear," he grabbed his wife by the hand and reluctantly she stood up. Scowling at Terry, she walked out of the room.

Terry moved closer to the bed.

"Carter?" she said his name hopefully. He didn't move. "Oh Carter," she sighed sadly. "Why did you do it?"

She didn't really know why she was saying it, after all, he wasn't going to answer. Clear and Alex exchanged glances, not really sure what to do with themselves. Eventually, they sat down in the chairs Mr and Mrs. Horton had been sitting in. Terry remained standing, by Carter's side. All of a sudden Alex and Clear began to feel awkward. Alex felt in his pocket for some spare change. 

"Er, I think I'm gonna go and get a drink or something," he announced, getting up. He couldn't stand to be in the tense atmosphere a second longer.

"Me too," Clear agreed. She quickly stood up and followed him out of the door. Terry reached out and touched Carter's hand. 

"I'm sorry Carter. I was a bitch, I didn't know I'd hurt you this bad." She hoped that somehow, even if he couldn't respond, that he could hear her.

"Wake up, please. I miss you Carter. I know you didn't mean what you said to me in the forest, and I want you to know that I'll always be there for you." Terry could feel the tears starting to build up in her eyes. She let go of his hand. "No matter what. Because I love you." She started to walk away then. She couldn't bear to see him like that, with bandages wrapped around him. Terry decided to leave. She was just getting to the door when she heard something behind her.

__

Hi again, it's been a while since the last writers note, but this is basically just to say I can't make this funny cos it would be, to use Rosie's favourite word, 'evil'. I mean come on, Carter is on the verge of death here, we can't make it funny can we? Well............no. I was thinking about it for a second there but I changed my mind. Look out for funny Tod stuff though, I am seriously thinking of planning comedy for him.

"Terry?" a voice whispered. _(Oh god, this is soooooo mushy.) _Terry turned around slowly. Carter was awake. 

"Oh my God!!" Terry shrieked. "Are you all right?" Carter didn't respond to that particular question. He had something else he had to ask.

"Did you, really mean what you just said?"

Terry smiled as she stood beside his bed. "Course I did."

"I'm sorry Terry. I was a dick. I shouldn't have done all the crazy stuff I did in the forest."

"Carter, you don't need to apologise for anything," Terry replied. "It's me who should be saying sorry."

Carter looked tired. "What for?" he asked in a small voice.

"Cos I just ignored you. I didn't see how upset you were. I should have been there for you."

"Doesn't matter," Carter answered. He closed his eyes, feeling them grow heavy. "I'm kinda tired Terry," he said. He felt glad he hadn't died now. Everything was gonna be okay.

"I'll go tell a nurse you woke up," Terry explained. "I'll see you later." She touched his hand again before she walked over to the door.

"Terry?" Carter called out as she reached for the handle.

"What?"

"I er, guess I love you too."

Terry smiled as she shut the door behind her. 

__

Awwwwwww! How sweet. But at the same time, I am wondering why this story has become so sentimental when before it was funny. I guess you just have to balance it out don't you? Every comedy film has it's serious moments doesn't it? For example......well I can't think of any at the moment because my head is full of S-Club 7's new song, Don't stop movin'. Oh well. Here we go with the story again, and remember, don't stop movin' to the funky, funky beat.

****

Chapter 27:

Tod walked down the stairs, not daring to look into the front room. 

"Surely there can't be too much of a mess," he deluded himself as he neared the bottom. Nothing could have prepared him for the sight he was about to see. Slowly, he glanced across.

"Oh shit," he said to himself as he looked at the state the lower floor of the house was in. "I am so dead."

The floor was virtually coated with a layer of rubbish, stubbed out cigarettes and bottles. And right in the middle of it all lay George. Asleep. Snoring his head off. Tod suddenly remembered something.

"It was all his stupid idea," he said aloud, making his way over to his brother. "George!! George!!"

"Piss off," George whined with his eyes still closed. 

"George," Tod persisted, shaking him. "Mom and Dad are gonna be back in a couple of hours!"

George slowly and tiredly opened his eyes. "And your point is?"

"See for yourself," Tod replied, taking another look for himself. George did. And nearly jumped out of his skin.

"Jesus Christ Tod! Did we do this?"

"Yep."

"We've gotta tidy this up, now!"

"Yeah."

"Well, go on then!" George yelled back, suddenly panicking. "If Mom and Dad find us here in this mess, I don't know what they'd do. But let me just say one thing, I HATE chores."

Tod nodded. "Me too."

They were just trying to grab a handful of rubbish when they heard the sound of a key in the lock.

"Ahhhhhhh!" George yelled losing control. The door swung open.

"Hi boys, hope you've had- ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!" Mrs. Waggner screamed at the top of her voice. "What the hell have you done?!" She stared at the mess. "My beautiful new carpet!" she yelled, staring at the layer of rubbish which covered it. "I only had this shampooed last week! And my curtains! They're filthy! Ah! What have you done to my table?"

The table, was scratched and covered with empty bottles. Jerry Waggner stood silently seething with rage behind her.

"Boys?" he asked in a weird calm way which unnerved both Tod and George. "Is that cannabis I can smell? And what are all those empty bottles? Gee, If I didn't know better I'd say they were our special bottles left over from the anniversary party."

George and Tod exchanged worried glances. "Yeah Dad. You're right." Tod admitted, looking at the floor.

"Oh I'm right, am I? So that is cannabis?" Jerry Waggner continued in a sly sneaky voice.

"Yeah."

"Well then. I think a meeting with the chore hat should be suffi-."

"Oh! No, not the chore hat!" Tod whined. 

"Please! _Anything _but the sodding chore hat!" George begged, falling to his knees on the floor.

But his Dad wouldn't listen.

"Now," Linda Waggner explained, holding a hat full of screwed up pieces of paper in front of her. "You take it in turns to pick a chore. Then you do the chores, or NOBODY goes to the superbowl this year!"

"Ohhhhh!!" Tod whinged like a baby. "That is just so unfair!"

"Well, since you show such an objection son, why don't you go first?" his mum asked. Tod sighed and put his hand in the hat. He pulled out a piece of paper.

"What's it say Tod?"

"It says, 'Do dishes every night for a month.'" Tod replied sadly. He hated doing the dishes.

"Oooh, oooh, my turn!" George exclaimed, digging his hand in. He pulled out another piece of paper.

"What did _you _get George?" Linda Waggner asked. George didn't answer. Instead he threw the paper behind him onto the floor.

"Practice."

He dug his hand in again, read the paper, then threw it on the floor with the other one.

"That was also a practice."

His mum sighed impatiently. "Come on dear choose a chore. We haven't got all day."

George continued pulling paper out and then throwing them behind him. "Oooh, practice.......practice........another practice........I would do that, but it's a practice........also a practice........."

Mrs. Waggner grabbed one of the few remaining pieces of paper. She read it out. 

"Tidy room every week, how's that sound?"

"I'll tidy my room, when _I _pull it out of the chore hat and it's not a practice!" George replied thinking he was ace. He dug his hand in again, staring at the writing on it. It said, 'Tidy room every week.' Without letting his mum see, he threw it behind him on the floor.

"Practice."

"Well George," his mum sighed rubbing her hands together. "I think that you've had just about enough practices now. This time, you have to do the chore it says."

George nodded unsurely, and dug his hand in. He pulled out the last piece of folded white paper. Unfolding it, he read his chore. 

"Dress yourself every morning," he read out loud. "I am sick and tired of laying out your clothes every day and if you don't throw out that stripy sweater soon I swear I will go insane." George passed it to Tod. "I think that one's for you."

Linda Waggner's expression never changed. "Well George, since you so cleverly got out of the chore hat idea, again, I think that a visit with Mr. Mallet would cure what ails you."

"Nooooooo!!! I swear I'll do anything! Not Mr. Mallet! Please!!!!!" George cried falling to his knees on the carpet. Linda Waggner smirked appreciatively. Tod was confused. He'd never got to the Mr.Mallet stage before cos he was so good, he always did a chore out of the stupid chore hat. He wondered what the hell could happen with a mallet. Then again, he'd rather not think about it. Maybe it was just a false threat. But it always worked, even on George.

"Okay, I'll do them all, I'll do every practice chore I pulled out and I'll do Tod's aswell!" George tried to persuade his mum to let him off. "I'll do anything, just promise me you'll never mention Mr.Mallet again."

Then it was Tod's turn to smirk. He didn't have a chore now. He had got off pretty easy. He decided to make his exit there and then. After all, he didn't want his mum to start giving him more stick. It wasn't like it was his fault anyway. He sneaked out carefully and walked up the stairs.

****

Chapter 28:

Carter sat up in his hospital bed, feeling refreshed. 'What a good night's sleep,' he thought to himself, stretching his arms. Just at that minute, a young nurse came in holding a breakfast tray. 

"You're making an excellent recovery Mr. Horton," she commented, smiling at him. 

"Yeah, I guess I am," Carter replied as he took the tray from her. He felt fine in himself, but for some reason he wasn't allowed of the hospital.

"Why can't I go home today? I feel fine," he asked as the nurse made her way back over to the door.

"Mr. Horton, you came in here in the early hours of this morning unconscious. We don't let patients get away that easily. Sure, you feel great now, but at any moment you could have a relapse. The human brain is a complicated thing Mr. Horton." She started opening the door, ready to leave. "We'll let you know when we think you're ready to leave."

"Oh, okay then," Carter sighed, wishing she would stop calling him 'Mr. Horton.' It made him sound like a mean old git, just like his Dad. He tried to remember what exactly had happened the night before. He couldn't. All he could remember was falling down the stairs. That was it. He couldn't remember anything else, not the party, not coming home, not setting up the trap. Nothing. He leaned back against his pillow, picking up his orange juice. 

"Oh, good morning Alex, Tod," Ms. Lewton greeted them as they sat down. "Glad you could be bothered to come into school today."

"If you don't mind me saying," Tod replied insolently. "We weren't skiving. We were lost in the Forest, because _somebody _drove us out there when we were meant to be studying for the French Project." Tod glanced across to Carter's empty desk. 

"The same somebody who's now in hospital after attempting suicide?" Ms. Lewton asked smarmily. "That sounds pretty likely to me." 

Tod leaned back in his seat, pleased he had shifted the blame. 

"Well, if you could turn to page forty-five in Macbeth I think we can carry on reading." She opened up a faded hardback book from her desk. Immediately, there was a shuffling of bags as people retrieved their own copies. 

"Alex, you can be Macbeth, since you're always dying to play the main character." This wasn't true. Alex was the one who always made up excuses to leave the room before parts were given out. He just saw reading plays as being gay. 

"Oh, Ms.Lewton?" Tod shouted out. "I can't read today, because, because," he hesitated, desperately trying to come up with something. He coughed in an 'over-the-top' kind of way. "Because I have lost my voice, because I had to keep shouting for help in the forest," he continued in a croaky quiet voice. "I'm in agony. To even say one line would cause me great pain."

"Oh, I'm sorry Tod," Ms. Lewton replied in mock sympathy. "You poor thing. I guess you'll just have to grin and bear it, cos you're Lady Macbeth."

A snigger went around the class.

"No way dude," Tod answered cockily. "That's a chicks part."

"And you're reading it," Ms. Lewton concluded, not putting up with any of it. "If you have a problem a visit with the principal can be arranged, because to be quite honest I've had it up to here with you questioning my authority."

Tod sighed, and looked down at his book. 

"Now, are we ready to begin?"

Billy sat day dreaming at the back of the class, not paying any attention to the play. He had only got to sleep at four am that morning, and he had a splitting headache. He gazed out of the window, wishing he could just go home. 

"Billy?" Ms. Lewton's sharp voice broke into his thoughts. Billy stared back blankly. "Day dreaming again are we?"

"No Ms. Lewton," he answered quickly. 

"Yeah right. I've had enough of the lack of concentration in this room," she sighed, as she glanced around at the teenagers either sleeping, listening to personal stereos which were tucked into their hooded tops, so that she 'couldn't see them,' and girls filing their nails or dialling phone numbers under the table. "Does _anyone _ever actually listen in this class?"

Nobody moved. 

"What?" Alex asked, putting the chicken spread back into his rucksack.

"Oh! I give up!" Ms. Lewton cried in desperation. "I'm not gonna stand here wasting my time trying to teach you this ridiculous play! I've had enough! Every day my life's the same. I get up, I go to work, I try to teach a bunch of ignorant little twats about the importance of great English literature, and what do I get for it? A stupid cheque in the post for about as much money you get for a sodding paper round. Well, you know what," Ms. Lewton went on, not talking to anyone in particular. "I'm not going to bother anymore. You can sit there on your mobiles or listening to Papa Roach or whatever it is you kids listen to. Cos it doesn't affect me if you grow up to be tramps living on the street, begging for quarters, and if I ever see you lying in a back alley, starving hungry and filthy, you know what I'm gonna do? Nothing! I'll just kick your stupid little cloth caps full of money all over the street, down the gutter, see how you like that, eh? You wouldn't be so happy then would you?! No, then you'll be sorry, you'll sit there lonely at night freezing to death in the ragged remains of your hooded tops, wishing you'd paid attention in English class. Well it'll be too late then! It will be too late!! Ha ha ha ha ha!!!"

She marched out, slamming the door behind her. Slowly, Tod removed the earphones from his ears and put them in his bag.

"She's doing what now?"

Alex didn't answer. He was digging around in his bag for more food. 

"Alex?"

"Sorry, I wasn't listening," Alex replied, totally oblivious to everything that had been going on around him. He dug out another tin and opened it, stuffing the paste into his mouth. 

****

Chapter 29:

"Well, I think you should all be ashamed of yourselves," Mr. Doggett _(cool little sneaky joke there eh?) _The principal told the class. "Because of you, Ms. Lewton had a panic attack in the faculty lounge. Now she's been sent home to get some rest. I hope you're happy."

Nobody answered. Tod shrunk back in his seat, hoping the principal wouldn't recognise him from the 'little meeting' a couple of days back.

"What the hell did you do to her eh?" He looked straight at Billy. "You, tell me what happened."

Billy stared blankly. "I'm sorry, were you talking to me?" he asked. Mr. Doggett sighed, beginning to realise the problem. He leaned back on the desk.

"I think I'm starting to see it for myself now," he said. "This class _never _listens. No wonder Ms. Lewton got sick of you." He looked at two girls on the front row, Christa Marsh and Blake Dreyer. They were reading magazines, discussing the articles amongst themselves. "What gives you the attention span of a cactus hmm? Maybe I should board up the windows, or perhaps take down this world map if it's too distracting for you."

Tod sat staring at the huge poster in front of him, his head in his hands. "Sooooo many pretty colours." He sighed. "Far out dude. Far out."

"Right," Mr. Doggett announced marching over to the map. He ripped it off the wall.

"Ohh Mr. Doggett!" Tod cried. "Can't you see I was enjoying that?"

"Exactly. And that's the problem with this class. You can't focus on the task you are meant to be focusing on."

"I have a cat called Whiskers," Alex said suddenly. "She likes me to stroke her back and she purrs when you-."

"Can't you see? You're not concentrating!" The principal continued, getting frustrated. 

"I believe the answer is two," Tod corrected.

"I never even asked you a question!"

Mr. Doggett put his head in his hands. "What am I gonna do with you? I suppose I could ban you all from the trip-."

"What trip?" Billy shouted out. Then he paused. "Oh yeah, that trip. I think I heard part of that conversation."

Mr. Doggett couldn't believe this class. He was beginning to lose it himself.

"You're all adults now," the principal continued. "And I hope, that you can let me reason with you in a mature, responsible-."

"Food fight!" Alex yelled, suddenly throwing chicken spread at Tod's face. Tod threw it back, and soon the whole class was throwing stuff around. A banana skin hit Mr. Doggett in the face.

"Right!!" he roared. "You have just proved to me that you cannot compromise. You have now forced me to punish you like we punish the kindergarten children."

For once, the class seemed to be listening.

"You, the one who started the food fight!" he yelled pointing to Alex. Alex looked around, wondering whether the principal _really_ meant him.

"Up, get up, stand up right this minute!"

Alex did as he was told unsurely. 

"Recite to me the two times table."

Alex wasn't sure whether he was joking or what.

"NOW!! You'll learn the hard way this time!"

"Um, er, two?" Alex began.

"That's a start," Mr. Doggett replied sarcastically. "Carry on."

"Four, negative three....er....two hundred.....five......seven?" 

The principal looked disgusted. "Sit down. I think I've heard enough. Now you, stripy sweater boy, you get up!"

Tod pulled a cocky face at the principal. "You talking to me?"

"Yeah I'm talking to you. Now get up and recite the alphabet!"

"Is this some kind of a joke?"

"Did I tell you to ask stupid sodding questions, Stripy?" Mr. Doggett glared evilly, making even Tod feel nervous.

"My name is _not _Stripy. It's-."

"I don't care what your name is, you scratty son of a bitch. I gave you an order."

Tod looked down at his sweater, wondering whether his mum was right when she told him to throw it out a couple of years ago. Then he cleared his throat.

"A, B, C, D, E, F, G.......hang on," Tod said defiantly. "I don't have to start reciting the bloody alphabet! I know the alphabet! We learned it about thirteen years ago!"

Suddenly, the principal narrowed his eyes at Tod. "Wait a minute, you're that boy who was fighting in the canteen last week."

"Yeah," Tod agreed uncertainly.

"What's your name then? Floppy haired freak?"

Tod ran a hand through his hair feeling pissed off by the fact that this guy kept getting at him.

"No, actually," he replied smarmily. He had never really respected authority. 

"Yeah well we haven't got all day Stripy, so you'd better carry on-."

"Will you _stop _calling me stripy?" Tod argued, getting more and more angry. 

"No, Stripy I won't. While you're in my school, you follow my orders. Now skip the alphabet and give me the song." Mr. Doggett stared intently at Tod, his eyes almost burning into him. Tod shook his head.

"You've got to be kidding. That song is gay!"

"And I'm thinking the same about you, but what are you gonna do smart-arse? I'm the principal. And I told you, you are gonna learn the hard way," Mr. Doggett answered coldly, getting more evil by the second. "So go on. We're all waiting." He waved a hand towards the rest of the class. Tod gulped and glanced at Alex. Alex looked scared to death. The cat comment had really taken the biscuit, and in any other situation Tod would have laughed. But not now.

"Now I know my A,B,C," he sang in an unenthusiastic tone. "Won't you come and play with me?"

Mr. Doggett clapped. "Well done. I would also have accepted, 'tell me what you think of me?' But that was great. You're gonna be a rock star when you're older. Oh yeah, I can see it now," the principal told him, making wild hand gestures. "Stripy, in concert!"

"Cut the crap," Tod replied, in no mood to take any of this, not even from the principal. He started to sit down in his seat, but still Mr. Doggett carried on. 

"You'll have your name in lights sonny. One day, I'll walk down the street and your face will be on a huge bill-board. You're gonna hit the big time Stripy. _Now_ you may sit."

Tod clenched his fists by his side. If it had been anyone else he would have punched their lights out. Mr. Doggett smiled, knowing his job was done.

"Well, I can see that you have learned your lesson," he announced, walking towards the door. "Every time I hear that you haven't been concentrating with your studies, I'll do it again. And next time I won't be picking on Stripy, or Cat-Boy-."

Alex and Tod cringed at those names. Boy, were they gonna get taken the piss out of for that later. 

"It could be you, red-cap," he told Billy. "Or maybe even the Tarts over there." He pointed to Christa and Blake. "But for now, I have a faculty meeting to attend to. I will send along a substitute teacher in a few minutes. So until then, sit in silence. And NO food fights, you think you can handle that, Cat-Boy?"

****

Chapter 30: Summary of Chapters 22-29:

__

Before I start this, can I just say that I can't really be bothered to write these gay little summary chapters. So, I'm gonna try and cut this down then just say what I think, then maybe give you a load of crap about other stuff you'll only get if you've seen the film.

Basically, this part, entitled, 'Suicide, Splits and Spliff Club Seven,' is all about everything it says in the title. It begins with Tod bored at home, wondering what to do. His mum and dad go out for the night, so George takes the opportunity to have a party. And so they do. Carter is invited, and his preparations involve deliberately/accidentally falling down the stairs because of the 'convenient roller skate,' scenario.

We learn in this chapter that Tod is an S-Club Seven fan, and George likes Wheatus, but obviously not Papa Roach cos he doesn't have any of their albums. He does have, however, John Denver, but that's just another one of my sad jokes. Billy is enjoying getting drunk, and Alex is getting drunk for the first time which he is very proud of. 

Carter starts getting depressed about being at the party and seeing Terry, so feeling sick and out of his mind he goes home to kill himself.

Terry wants to go up and see Tod's bedroom, _(Sounds very dodgy but I managed to stop myself somehow.) _Tod doesn't want to at first because he has all his Due South and S Club 7 posters up there. Eventually he agrees.

Carter is using his initiative and looks up Kill-A-Lot services in the phone book, which basically is a suicide centre where people can go to have themselves killed. Nice. But, unfortunately, they don't have any vacancies, so he turns to the good old suicide, 'how to kill yourself,' guide book.

After an eternity, he has set up his trap, and as a final touch he writes a very sentimental suicide note. (Yeah, if sentimental means addressing people as suckers.) Then, as it so rightly says, he 'pulls the cord.....'

Clear finds out something has happened to Carter and needs to go and find Terry. She can't find her, so gets Alex to help. Alex tries to get sense out of Billy but it doesn't work at all. It turns out Carter set up a sign to crush him from behind, except it backfired and he flew out of the window, landing on a trampoline in the back yard. Now he is in hospital, in a coma. Awww! Like I care. Well, I do but.......oh never mind. To attempt to cut a long story short, remembering that when I say that I never really mean anything by it anyway, Clear finds Tod and Terry together (NOT DODGY) and finally realises what has been going on. She has a right go at Tod then leaves. Alex, Clear and Terry go to the hospital to see Carter. Clear and Alex then leave Terry alone with him, because she is getting upset. Thinking he can't hear her, she apologises and says she loves him. Just as she is leaving, he wakes up and says he loves her too.

The next morning, Tod wakes up and can't believe the mess there is downstairs. He tries to get George to help him, but his parents get home and punish them with the 'chore hat,' which basically is a hat full of bits of paper with chores written on them. George won't choose one, he keeps saying they were 'practices,' until he is threatened with Mr.Mallet, (don't ask) and changes his mind. 

Carter is making a good recovery in the hospital, but once again that scene is so short I don't know why I'm even bothering to say it.

Now here comes the funniest bit of the whole of Part 3. The school scene. Tod and Alex get done by Ms. Lewton for a while, then they have to read Macbeth. Although Tod insists he has lost his voice and is in agony, he gets the part of Lady Macbeth. Ms. Lewton decides the class never listens and stresses out, supposedly having a panic attack in the faculty lounge. 

Then, the principal, who we now know is named Mr. Doggett comes to find out what happened. He realises the class NEVER listens and gets angry after Alex initiates a food fight. He makes Alex recite the two times table and Tod recite the alphabet, including the song. He delights in causing Tod, 'Stripy', which Tod hates. Then Mr. Doggett, knowing his public humiliation is complete, leaves the room.

That's it really.

__

The Jokes from the past 2 parts which you'll only get if you've seen the film:

•When it says Carter tried to kill himself with a sign in the back, it's because at the end of the film, a huge sign does fly down and kill him.

•The fact that Tod has got John Denver's album is because in the film, the John Denver song, Rocky Mountain High,' is played.

•Ray's speech on Due South is the same as the speech Tod reads out in the film at the memorial service.

•The stripy sweater jokes are basically just me taking the piss out of Tod's dress sense in the movie.

•As are the hooded top jokes.

•When Billy complains that all Carter has done for him is run his over with his car, that's because that happens in the film a lot.

•When Tod talks about the X-Files episode, that's the one that the actor, (Chad Donella) who plays Tod starred in.

•The chore hat joke is nicked off a Simpsons episode where Homer keeps saying 'Practice' and won't choose any chore Lisa tries to give him.

•As is the, 'We would also have accepted tell me what you think of me,' joke.

•Mr. Doggett, the principal has a name I copied off the X-Files, as in the new agent, John Doggett.

•The fact that I keep going on about chicken spread is because Alex eats some in Clears Dad's cabin in the movie.

•When it says that Billy buys malted milk balls and 'will probably drop them everywhere,' that's because in the film, when the plane is exploding Billy drops a packet of those particular sweets all over the floor.

the listening idea- tod hasnt listened before


	4. The Final Destination

****

Part 4: The Final Destination

Chapter 31:

"What just happened?" Alex asked as he sat at his desk, feeling slightly out of it.

"I'm not sure," Tod replied calmly. "But my ears feel all tingly and weird."

"Um, I think that's called Listening," Alex explained.

"Lis-ten-ing?" Tod repeated without any understanding of the word. "I'll never get used to these new technological terms."

At that moment the door slammed, and a young teacher entered the room. She was wearing a short skirt and tight blouse. Her hair was long and glossy. She smiled at the class as she came in, holding some books in her arms.

"Good afternoon class," she greeted them cheerfully. Alex and Tod's jaws dropped open. _(Boys are pathetic really aren't they?) _"I'm Miss Mulder."

__

(Another name off the X-Files! How cool is that?) 

"Oh my god," Tod whispered under his breath.

"Hands off Stripy, this one's mine!" Alex hissed back sharply. Tod glared at Alex, still annoyed by the nickname Mr. Doggett had given him.

"Now, when I teach classes, I like to know a little about each of my students," Miss. Mulder continued, as she got to the front. "So, when it's your turn, tell me your name and something about yourself." She looked at Tod and smiled. "Why don't you go first, Stripy?"

That wiped the smirk off Tod's face. Feeling uneasy, he cleared his throat. "Well, for a start my name isn't Stripy," he began calmly. "It's Tod."

"Well in that case I apologise to you Tod," Miss. Mulder answered him, laying her books out on the table. "Carry on."

"Er, well, I don't really know what to say about myself," Tod struggled, trying to think of something. 

"Just think of something," Miss. Mulder replied trying to be helpful. "Anything will do."

"Right, well I'm kinda lazy, I never help out in the house, I never throw any of my clothes out, I'm rude to my parents, I'm always forgetting stuff, I never do my homework, I'm a bad friend.." Tod reeled off all his personality traits, counting on his fingers. "I hate meeting new people, I fight with my brother, I want all my own way, I'm selfish, I never say the right thing, I'm not all too good at school work, I shout a lot, my bad habits include answering people with a grunting noise, scraping forks on my teeth to annoy people-."

"Right Tod, well I think we've heard enough from you," Miss. Mulder interrupted him, not really sure what to think.

"Why thankyou Miss. Mulder," Tod declared feeling he had made a good impression. _(As if.)_

"Right, you next," she announced looking at Alex. 

"Hi, I'm Alex and I'm dead sexy," Alex told her, trying to be cool.

"Course you are," Miss. Mulder replied sarcastically. "Next."

"Hi, my name's Billy, but my friends call me-." 

"Billy," Tod finished off. "You don't _have_ a nickname sad-act." Billy did look sad then. 

"Yeah well, at least it's not Stripy," he remarked unwisely.

"Come over here and say that Hitchcock," Tod challenged him. 

"If it's all right with you I think I'll stay here," Billy answered back, not moving.

"Chicken!!"

"Stripy Waggner! Will you stop this at once!" Miss. Mulder yelled. Tod could feel his face going red.

"But I'm not called Stri-."

"You are when you're in my class," she snapped back, suddenly not looking as friendly. "Now, Billy, I think you were speaking before we were so _rudely_ interrupted." She smiled sweetly at Billy. Tod glared, feeling the anger build up inside him.

"Yeah, my name's Billy and-."

"And I'm a silly sad git. Yeah we know," Tod couldn't stop himself from butting in,

"Stripy Waggner! You have been told! If I have to tell you one more time, I swear I'll have to-."

"Get out your belt and whip me to death? Just try me baby," Tod answered back insolently. 

"Get out!" Miss. Mulder yelled. She couldn't believe how annoying this guy could be. "Just get out of this class and wait there until you can stop disrupting my lesson."

Tod scraped his chair back along the floor deliberately. He got to his feet and sauntered over to the door. 

"With pleasure," he answered back smarmily. "At least I don't have to read Lady sodding Macbeth now."

Miss. Mulder clenched her fists by her sides. This one was really trying her patience. He walked out, slamming the door behind him. Alex had always known Tod had a big gob, but he had never really been this rude to a teacher before. Something must have been on his mind. And Alex didn't know what yet, but, as in with the design, he was gonna break this one.

"Well, now that we've finally got rid of that insolent little bastard," Miss. Mulder began, not caring about her language in front of the class. "We can get back to the English lesson. Open your books again, and this time, Christa, you can read Lady Macbeth instead."

"Wow dude, you really showed her," Alex commented in awe as he joined Tod outside the class at the end of the lesson. Tod was leaning against the wall, looking down at his shoes.

"Yeah well. I've had enough of people calling me......that name."

"Stripy?"

Tod flinched at the sound of it. Thanks to Mr. Doggett and Miss. Mulder, nobody was ever gonna let him forget that name.

"Yeah. Stripy," Tod agreed, without much enthusiasm. "That's something I'll be hearing a lot of for a while."

"Yeah," Alex said, not really sure what else to say. He started walking with Tod along the corridor.

"I wrote a poem in class," Alex said, trying to make conversation. 

"Oh yeah? What about?"

"Well, it went like this," Alex announced, clearing his throat. "I eat, therefore I am a fat bastard."

"And it took you all lesson to do that?" Tod asked in disbelief.

"Don't diss the poem man," Alex replied. "Miss Mulder said it-."

"Oh, not Miss. Mulder again," Tod interrupted. _(He's good at doing that isn't he?) _"I hate her."

"Well she said it had potential. She said It had got Chinese culteral influences."

"Yeah, sure. Even Carter could have thought up something better, and that's saying something," Tod was deliberately picking on Alex for no reason. "If you want Chinese culteral influence, try this," he paused for a moment. "What's the sound of one hand clapping?"

Alex stared blankly for a second.

"This," Tod explained, clapping his fingers on one hand into his palm. "See? And that's meant to be a three thousand year old chinese riddle."

"Oh wow, you're so smart," Alex exclaimed in mock amazement. "What's up with you today anyway? You're acting kinda snappy."

"Nothing is _up _with me Alex," Tod brushed it aside. "I'm perfectly fine. I just wish Mr. Doggett hadn't publicly humiliated me in front of the class. I had a reputation to keep up. He spoiled it."

Alex laughed to himself. "Oh yeah, you mean, you were famous for being the only guy in school who held the record for wearing the same sweater for four years?"

"Shut up shut up shut up!" Tod yelled quickly, as he reached his locker. "Will you quit with the sweater jokes? I love this sweater. Me and this sweater, we've seen some good times together."

"I know one thing you and that sweater haven't seen." Alex replied ready for the punchline. "The washer."

"You don't understand," Tod answered as if Alex was a toddler who knew nothing. _(Not far from the truth eh?)_ "I got this sweater for my thirteenth birthday, when my mum bought it about ten sizes too big. It's the best sweater in the world," Tod explained, holding a piece of the worn fabric in his hand. "This sweater saw me through my sixteenth and seventeenth birthday. This sweater has been stretched and shrunk about seven times. This sweater was there when that dog dragged me through the hedge at my family barbeque. This sweater-."

"Yeah yeah," Alex butted in getting tired of hearing about 'This Sweater.'

"Why don't you and the sweater get a room?"

"Like I said, you don't understand," Tod told him, letting go of the sleeve. "You'll know one day, when you get a sweater of your own."

Alex rolled his eyes and shut his locker again. 

"I've already got about five sweaters. I just don't adore them like you," Alex said annoyed, and irritated by his friends behaviour. Tod was known to have obsessions when something was troubling him. There was the time when he had got an 'F' in the big physics test. Alex didn't even suspect anything was wrong until he found him sitting on his bedroom floor with a broken pen in one hand, and scribbles all over his face, wailing, 'I'm a good girl, I am'. Or there was the day that his mum and dad found out he had stolen ten cents out of his dad's swear jar. Alex nearly fainted after he caught Tod riding a lawnmover down the street singing 'Material Girl.' Oh yes, Tod could be pretty weird. And today was definitely one of those days. Alex snapped out of his thoughts to see Tod stroking the sleeve of his sweater.

"Poor Baby," Tod cooed to the material. "When we get home I'll put you straight to bed." He suddenly put his ear to the sweater, as if it was saying something. Alex circled a finger round one ear.

'He's flipped,' Alex thought. Tod lifted his ear off the the sleeve again and looked right at the sweater.

"No, you can't stay up to watch the X-Files. That's a big people programme. You know how it scares you sometimes, then you can't sleep on school-nights, and you have to come and sleep in my bed then don't you?"

Alex could do nothing but stare in disgust. He had to know what was going on.

"Right," Alex announced, smacking Tod's arm off his sweater. Immediately Tod's head jerked up sharply. "What's going on now? You been shoplifting again?"

"No," Tod replied, as if he couldn't believe what Alex was suggesting.

****

Chapter 32: 

"Well, you sure fooled me," Alex remarked, his brain ticking. (Are you serious? His brain was _working_? Gimme a break.)

"Huh. Guess I have a knack for it," Tod replied trying to put comedy into the situation. 

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong with you then or what?" Alex persisted, eyeing the sweater, trying to come up with a cunning plan. 

"How about, no, Alex?"

"Well," Alex began not sure whether his ploy would work or not. He caught sight of a switchblade _(Penknife for idiots who didn't know that)_ on top of the lockers. It seemed a pretty good idea, so Alex grabbed it and put it to the sleeve of the sweater. "How about now? Talk, or the sweater gets it!"

Tod stared, terrified. "Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!! Not my sweater!! I'll do anything!! I'll talk, I'll get down on my knees and beg for forgiveness, I'll be your slave for a week, I'll even go and do the unthinkable. I'll apologise to the mega bitch, Miss.Mulder!!" Tod was going hysterical, not daring to move an inch in case his beloved sweater 'got it.' 

"You'll do that?" Alex asked, rubbing his chin in thought. "Would you consider buying me a car with your life-savings?"

"Yes!!! I've got about ten thousand dollars in that account!!" Tod shrieked taking the opportunity to boast. "I told you, anything! Just let go of my sweater!"

Alex eyed him suspiciously. A car would be a nice present off your mate. And it wouldn't even be for a special occasion. But then again, you couldn't buy a Porsche with ten thousand dollars could you?

"Can you get me a Porsche?" Alex questioned, figuring it was worth a try. He looked at Tod. All the colour had drained out of his face. He really loved that minging old sweater. Tod hesitated for a second, as if he was trying to add up in his head.

"You must be joking!" he yelled. "I mean, my parents might be loaded, but do you actually know how much those cars cost?" Alex was suddenly pissed off by the boasting. He gripped the sleeve tighter and edged the blade closer, gritting his teeth to stop himself from losing control. Tod flinched, and closed his eyes, gulping. That made Alex feel guilty. But he had to carry on if he wanted answers. 

"I said, can you get me a Porsche?!" Alex cried.

"Well," Tod replied, his voice shaking. "I might have to risk getting a life sentence for armed robbery and murder and possession of an A.K 47, but......I'll see what I can do."

Alex suddenly felt full of bad feelings. 'Why am I doing this?' He thought desperately. 'Am I crazy?'

"Tod, you don't have to buy me a Porsche," Alex replied slowly. Tod smirked appreciatively. "You can just buy me a Mercedes instead."

That wiped the smile off his face. But he realised he had no choice.

"Sure," he answered unsurely. (Ironic?)

"Well, that's settled then."

Alex released his grip on the sweater. 

Tod immediately started inspecting his sweater for damage. Luckily, it seemed to be okay. He counted the holes. Only ten. No new ones. That was a good sign. 

"But you have to tell me what's wrong as well. After all, that's why I grabbed your sweater in the first place," Alex continued, placing the switchblade back up on the lockers. 

"No way dude. I'm getting you a Mercedes, and that's your lot," Tod answered back defiantly.

"Oh, who cares about the car? I don't even want one. I never want to drive," Alex explained. "Too dangerous. No, what I want, is one of those micro-scooters. You can't go wrong with them. All I was trying to do, Tod, was test you."

"Test me?"

"Yeah, to see how much you loved that sweater."

"You sick bastard!!" Tod yelled. "You scared the hell out of me!"

"Sorry," Alex apologised, looking down at the floor. "But us Libra's are meant to be nosy."

"I think that's an understatement," Tod commented, straightening out the fabric. "It's none of your business anyway. I can have secrets if I want. You have secrets, I have secrets. Everybody has secrets."

"I don't have any secrets," Alex said not even thinking about what he was saying. "The only secret I have is that I once pissed myself in class when I was eight years old-." He suddenly stopped, realising what he had just revealed. "I mean.......oh, just forget I said that will you?"

Tod smirked and folded his arms. "I feel a pay-back idea coming on," he said smarmily. 

"Tod!! Please!!" Alex begged. 

"Why should I? You're practically guilty of attempted murder!"

"On a sweater," Alex finished, putting a completely different perspective on the whole thing. "Sure."

"Well, that knife was pretty close to my skin Alex. I could easily tell the cops you were trying to kill-."

"So you'd grass on me would you?" Alex snarled. He suddenly started dancing round in circles. "Grasser!! Grasser!!" He sang. 

"Alex, stop being so immature."

"But you'd squeal on me to the cops?" Alex repeated, feeling violated.

"Let's put it this way," Tod answered. "If you came home and found a burglar in your house with a broken leg, and-."

"Hang on," Alex butted in. "How did he break his leg in the first place?"

"I dunno. He slipped and fell over the telephone cord I guess."

"Oh yeah. Get your facts right," Alex scoffed. "I wouldn't believe that for a second. For a start, our telephone cord doesn't even stick out. It's tucked away, right behind the-."

"It doesn't matter how he broke his leg!" Tod yelled back, frustrated. "The point is, he is in your house, unable to get away."

"What do you mean, unable to get away?" Alex interrupted once more. "I read in the paper once about this guy who slipped down an embankment, and a train ran over his leg and crushed it, but he managed to drag himself all the way back up, and when he got to the top he-."

"Shut up!" Tod cried, unable to believe how thick his friend could be. "This burglar can't get away. Let's pretend he was handcuffed to the table leg."

He saw Alex's face, ready to butt in again. "And let's also pretend that the table leg was attached to the wall somehow. Now what are you gonna think?"

"Dirty git," Alex muttered. "How the hell did he get handcuffed to the table leg anyway?"

"Ahhhhh!!" Tod screamed in despair. "Can't you just quit analysing everything for just one second??"

"Okay, okay, chill," Alex replied. "I just thought you might know."

"And how would I know how this fictional burglar got himself handcuffed to the table?" 

"Aren't _you_ the burglar?" 

Tod threw his arms up in despair. Alex scratched his head, confused. "I don't think I can cope with this kind of mind-game crap at this time in the morning."

"But dude, it's a simple story, I'm not trying to-."

Alex just started banging on his locker. 

"Stop messing with my head man!" he yelled as he pummelled the locker. "Stop messing with my head! Stop messing with my head!"

Tod shook his own head. Alex really was thick sometimes. He started to walk away. Alex noticed and immediately stopped banging. 

"Hey, aren't you gonna tell me how you got out of my house when you had a broken leg and was handcuffed to my table?" he asked, totally missing the point of the story. Tod spun round, holding his books in his arms. He tossed his floppy hair as he turned.

"Loréal," he said. "Because I'm worth it."

"You what?" Alex asked, staring at him as if he was crazy. Tod pulled a face as if he didn't know what he was doing either.

"I just got caught up in the moment okay? Sheesh," he sighed. "All I was trying to explain was that you would do the same to me If I tried to cut your hooded top up."

"I would not!! I would never grass to the cops!" Alex replied indignantly. "You would!" Tod argued immaturely. "You're just a stupid dickhead."

"Hey, I may be stupid and a dickhead, but I'm not-." He paused. "What was the third thing you said?"

Tod let out an angry sigh and put his palm out as if to say 'talk to the hand.'

"Yeah well," Alex called as he walked off. "I'm psychic you know. I know your end. And it ain't pretty."

Tod stopped in his tracks, his fists clenched by his sides. "Oh yeah?" he challenged thinking he was tough. "And what is my _end, _exactly? I die at your merciless hands right here and now?"

"Close, but you're way off," Alex said smarmily. "Wait, I'm getting the vision again." He suddenly put his hands on his temples and closed his eyes. Tod stared, intrigued and confused.

"I see a clothes line."

"Wrong!" Tod cried. "We don't even have a clothes line you brain dead inch worm."

"That's a new one." Alex complimented him. "But I can still see a clothes line in my vision."

"Oh, sure. Like I'm gonna slip and strangle myself on it. You're just a freak Alex." Tod was totally sceptical about the whole vision idea. "You've seriously flipped."

"_I've _flipped?" Alex repeated, his mouth wide open in shock. "Look at yourself. Suddenly, you're acting so mature and self-centred. You think you're so ace don't you?"

****

Chapter 33:

"I do NOT _think_ I'm ace!" Tod yelled back. He looked Alex straight in the eye. "I _know _it."

"You smarmy son of a bitch," Alex insulted him, feeling thoroughly pissed off. "I don't know why I even made friends with you."

"Hello? Earth to Alex? Because nobody else would. I was the only one who took pity on you, not the other way around."

"Look Tod, if I'm honest, I've completely forgotten what the hell we're arguing about anyway."

"Me too actually," Tod admitted. He stepped forward and put his hand out towards Alex. "Friends?"

Alex stared at Tod. There was something in his eyes. 

__

Tod and Terry. In the woods. Tod and Terry. Alone in the woods. Tod and Terry...................

"Ugh! No way freak!!" Alex said, pulling a disgusted face. Tod looked half scared, half confused.

"What? What have I done now?" he demanded.

Alex narrowed his eyes, his face darkened by the shadows of the corridor. His face suddenly looked evil, the switchblade glinting in the sun. Tod gulped and looked, the knife catching his eye.

"I know what you did last week," Alex snarled murderously.

"You mean I stole fifty dollars out of your back pocket? So what?" Tod answered back, shrugging insolently. "I did magic when I was younger. Mom used to call me Cosmo. I did tricks for my family in the lounge sometimes." Tod laughed to himself. "It was quite cool. I specialised in pick-pocketing stuff. I used to wear this pointed wizards hat and this cape with stars on. George used to call me Wizadora.......but that's another story."

"No you fool!" Alex snapped, eyeing the knife again. "I'm talking about something else you did last week."

Tod thought for a moment. "Oh right. I get it." he nodded. "You're talking about that guy we ran over, remember, and we threw his body in the lake."

"No Tod. That never happened," Alex corrected, shaking his head. "I think you've been watching too many movies."

"You _think_?" Tod agreed sarcastically. "Man, I'm practically _in _a movie."

__

(If only he knew eh? That his entire existence was thought up by two guys who work on the X-Files. I wonder what Tod would think If I told him.....nah, that would just be cruel wouldn't it?)

"For Christ's sake Tod! Don't _you_ even know what you did last week?" Alex asked in disbelief.

"Er, I er.....It's coming to me.......just gimme a second.." Eventually, he shook his head. "No. Nothing. Sorry dude."

"You slept with Terry Chaney you dumbass!!" Alex yelled. "Geez! Do I have to spell everything out for you?"

"Oh that? I hardly think that's something to use as the subject for a title to a well known horror movie."

"Okay then," Alex began, smirking. "How about this for a title? American Pie."

"That's better," Tod agreed, nodding.

"But I lost the bet!" Alex whined. "I can't believe it. You're so, so," he stared at his floppy haired friend trying to come up with something.

"You're so, gay!"

"Excuse me Alex?" Tod replied unable to believe what he was hearing. "I may be a lot of things but gay certainly isn't one of them."

"Wanna bet?"

"Yeah actually." Tod paused suddenly. "And what's your problem? I won the bet fair and square."

"Fair and square my arse," Alex mocked, feeling like a baby. "You're just a selfish caniving lecherous git!"

"And is that a bad thing?"

"Yes!!"

"Hey, What can I say? I'm a sucker for blondes. I'm telling you Alex, I-."

Alex put his hands over his ears. "No, Tod. I _don't _wanna hear this!"

"Loser!!"

"No!!" he pressed his hands over his ears tighter. "I'm not!"

"Dirtbag!"

"Nooooo!!"

"Virgin!"

"Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!" Alex shrieked suddenly charging at Tod. Tod stepped back quickly, but Alex carried on running. He ran straight into the lockers and knocked himself out instead. 

"Alex?" Tod asked as he stared at his friend out cold on the floor.

"Are you okay dude?" Tod bent down on the floor, to see if Alex was badly hurt. "I'm sorry dude." He suddenly looked up to the sky.

"Why!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Why!!!!!!!!!!!!!" he yelled to nobody in particular. "Why!!!!!!!!!" He put his head in his hands as if he was crying.

Alex sniggered and sat up. 

"What the hell are you playing at?"

Tod looked embarrassed and stopped. "You bastard! Stop tricking me like that!"

"I still don't get it," Alex mused almost to himself.

"Get what?"

"Get why I lost the bet and you won."

"Huh. I guess I was just in the right place at the right time."

"Yeah. In the middle of nowhere. I mean, come on dude. How the hell did you get a girl like Terry? It's only guys like Carter that can do that."

"Then consider me a guy like Carter," Tod answered smarmily inspecting his nails for the second time in the story.

"You? Carter? I'm sorry, I don't see the resemblance." Alex replied sceptically.

"How did you know anyway?" Tod asked, wondering if Terry had said anything to him.

"I told you man. I'm psychic. I was born with it. I know stuff. And one day, it'll come in handy. One day, my ability will save lives. Maybe yours."

"Maybe not. Maybe you'll be too late. That's the thing with you Alex. You screw everything up. Even if you do save my life something is gonna go wrong."

"You're right," Alex replied in a calm voice.

"What?!"

"You're right Tod. That's where the clothesline comes in. I told you. I know your ending. So If I were you, don't listen to George on the plane okay?" Alex suggested trying to be helpful.

"What are you talking about? Don't listen to George? I never do anyway!" Tod complained, confused.

"You will on the plane. And there's nothing I can do to stop you. But If I were you, I'd be nicer to your brother." 

Tod pulled a face. "No way. Are you crazy?"

"Just do it. I can't explain why. I am a man of mystery." Alex was beginning to sound like one of those fortune teller machines in an arcade. 

"Forget it," Tod answered defiantly. "If you think you can freak me out with this psychic shit you can go to hell. I'm going home."

"Have it your way," Alex called after him as Tod disappeared round the corner.

****

Chapter 34:

"Hey mom!" Tod called as he came into the kitchen. Linda Waggner had just put some cookies in the oven. George was sitting at the kitchen table, books spread out in front of him.

"Hey little bro'!" George called. Tod pulled a disgusted face.

"Drop dead."

"With pleasure Stripy."

"Jesus! How do _you _know about that?!" Tod demanded in despair.

"People talk Todina."

Tod's eyes opened wide then. 'Please tell me he doesn't know about that as well,' he thought in desperation. There was a paper bag on the table which caught Tod's eye.

"Mom?" he asked.

"Yes dear?"

"What's that?"

"Oh, I went to the store today. It's a clothesline. You put it in the bathroom."

"A what?!" Tod asked in shock. Alex's premonition. It was coming true.

"A clothesline dumbass!" George interrupted.

"I know _that_!" Tod shrieked back, feeling himself going hysterical. "But we don't _need _a clothesline!"

Linda Waggner turned to face him, removing the oven gloves from her hands. 

"I think _somebody _needs to go to bed a little earlier...." She said calmly. "You've been spending too much time watching horror movies lately." Tod glared, resenting the fact that she was treating him like a five year old who wasn't in control of their own actions. _(Well, if I'm honest, Is he is control of his own actions? Nah, didn't think so.)_

"I mean, what do you thinks gonna happen?" she laughed out loud as she spoke. "That you're gonna slip on some water, get it wrapped round your neck, knock off all the shampoo bottles off the side so you can't stand up and then struggle helplessly while the blood vessels in your eyes burst, making your eyes disgusting and bloodshot? I don't think so darling."

"Thanks for that Mom," Tod said sarcastically. "That's really made me feel better."

"And so it should Tod. Don't you realise how ridiculous you're being?"

Tod sighed. After all, what did Alex know? So what if he'd guessed the truth on him and Terry? Clear could easily have told him. And it must have just been a coincidence that they got a clothesline the very same day Alex had 'supposedly,' had a vision of his death involving that particular item. 

"Yeah. I do," he agreed, pulling a chair out from under the table. George looked up from his studies, a chewed pencil in his gob. He was obviously revising for a dumb old test. "So, big bro'. What are you doing? Studying for some meaningless exam in some boring pointless lesson?"

"No, actually," George replied pissily. "It's for the end of term Maths exam. Which might I add _you're _also taking tomorrow."

"Oh, _that _test," he answered, trying to sound as if he knew. In actual fact he didn't have a clue what George was on about, but then again, in Ms. Lewtons class for the hearing impaired, what do you expect?

"Hey Carter!" Terry cried as she bounded into the room. Carter looked up suddenly and smiled.

"I didn't think you were coming to visit me today," he said, obviously fishing for compliments. 

"Are you nuts? I always come and see you Carter!" Terry sounded unusually happy for some reason. She produced some items from behind her back, and handed them one by one to him. "Here's a get well card from all my family, and one from all the people in the football team. And here's a present I got you this afternoon." 

Carter smiled thankfully and opened up the small box which Terry had given him. Inside was a chunky silver ring.

"Oh Thanks Terry," he replied gratefully. Terry came over and sat beside him on the bed.

"Hope you like it," she commented hopefully.

"It's the best. _You're _the best," he replied, looking fit _(Tell me about it) _and healthy again, apart from the bruise on his forehead from the fall. Terry laughed. "I remembered you wanted a new one. Ever since you lost your old one inside the couch at my parents house. Remember, we ripped the whole thing apart looking for it?"

Carter smiled, remembering. 

"And then, we got them a new one before they came back from that party, but it rolled down the hill again with us sitting on it and catapulted us over the hedge?"

"Yeah, that was cool."

Terry leaned closer and held his hand, looking into his eyes. "Nothing's gonna tear us apart now Carter," she told him.

"Not even a train crash?"

"No."

"Not even a plane explosion?"

"No, I don't think so."

"Not even a bus heading for you at high speed?"

"Definitely not _that_," Terry reassured him. "Let's never fight again. Ever."

"Yeah."

Terry suddenly looked serious. "I mean it Carter. You gotta stop drinking. And lying. And trying to kill yourself. It's just not good for you."

"I know, I know," Carter agreed, holding her hand tightly. "I promise Terry. I don't think I ever want to be hit by sign again in my life." _(I think this would be a good point to start playing, 'Ironic' by Alanis Morissette, don't you?) _He pulled her closer to him. "I just don't want to lose you again Terry. I do stupid things when you're not there to stop me."

"Don't worry about me Carter. I'm fine. I told you, nothing's ever gonna happen to me. It's just you. You need to look after yourself more." Terry reached out and put her arms around him. "We'll be okay, as long as we stick together."

"Yeah," Carter sighed as he put the ring on his finger. 

__

Meanwhile, it's Dinner Time at the Waggner House................

"Tod!!" Jerry Waggner yelled at the top of his voice. "Will you STOP scraping your fork along your teeth!! I HATE that noise.......oh yeah, and pass the salt will you son?"

Tod removed the fork from his mouth, rolling his eyes. He reached for the salt and handed it over.

"Sorry Dad. But I just love doing that," he apologised.

"Well I don't love hearing it. So bloody well pack it in, otherwise along comes Mr. Chore Hat-."

"Oh per-lease," George whined, joining the conversation. "We are not five years old Dad."

"Hey Mom, can I do a magic show after dinner?" Tod asked hopefully.

"No Cosmo. I don't think I can handle you ruining my best ties at this time of an evening," Jerry Waggner interrupted.

"I do not ruin your best ties!"

"Yeah you do. So shut up. Do you really think I _want _to hear you talking about dressing up as a gay Wizadora while I'm trying to eat?" George replied quickly.

"Gay? What's with this gay stuff all the time?" Tod cried indignantly. "I'm sick of people calling me gay."

"Yeah, Tod's not gay," Jerry backed him up. For a second Tod actually thought his Dad sticking up for him would be a good thing. But it's never that simple is it? "If any son of mine was Gay, I'd throw him out on the street. He wouldn't be living under _my _roof, I can tell you that."

"Oh Jerry," Linda Waggner sighed. "I hardly think that's a very good attitude to the situation. If our son is gay then we'll just have to support him and-."

"For God's sake! I am NOT gay!!" Tod yelled slamming down his knife on the table. He leapt out of his chair, almost snagging his sweater on the table. "Geez! What am I doing to deserve this?!" 

He smirked defiantly at his Dad, picking the fork up off the table. Jerry Waggner stared in anticipation, wondering what he was about to do. Tod put the fork in his mouth and scraped it all the way along his teeth, the sharp high pitched sound piercing the air. His Dad flinched at the noise. Tod pulled a cocky face and skipped off out of the room, knowing his smart-arse revenge was complete.

****

Chapter 35:

Clear was watching TV that evening when the phone rang. Wearily, she hauled herself out of the chair and made her way into the hall.

"Hello?"

"Hello Clear," a sinister voice hissed. "I'm in your house. I bet you can't find me."

Clear froze in terror and gripped the receiver to her ear tighter. "Who is this?" She demanded, her voice shaking. 

"That's for me to know, and you to find out. Go into the sitting room."

Clear reluctantly walked into the front room, the cordless phone still pressed against the side of her face.

"I bet you don't know where I am," the voice challenged her, laughing. Clear looked around the room. Two feet were sticking out from behind the couch, shaking as the person laughed.

"Er, you're behind the couch," she informed them unsurely. The laughing on the other end of the phone suddenly stopped. 

"Bugger!!" It snarled.

"Who are you?" Clear asked suddenly feeling a whole lot braver.

"Um, it's me, Billy," the voice answered, as he got to his feet.

"What the hell were you trying to do Billy? And how did you get into my house?!" Clear shrieked, half annoyed, half scared.

Billy dusted down his checked anorak. 

"Door was open. Thought I'd come in and give you a scare or something." He smiled, rubbing his hands together.

"Well it worked," Clear replied, calming down considerably. "But next time, I think ringing the doorbell might be a better plan."

Billy nodded, and immediately sat down on Clear's sofa, stretching out his arms.

"So, are you getting me a drink or do I have to do it myself?" he asked, as he put his hands behind his head.

"Excuse me?"

"I said, I want a drink. Preferably vodka," Billy repeated. "But if you haven't got any I wouldn't mind beer."

Clear stared for a second, not quite sure what was going on. What the hell was Billy playing at, coming into her house and ordering her around like that? 

"You've got a nerve," Clear replied as she stood in the doorway. "You've really got a nerve."

"Great. So get me a drink, then come and sit with me on the couch. I think the X-Files is on tonight. Right about now."

Clear smiled and walked off into the kitchen, wondering what the hell _she _was playing at, letting the class geek boss her around like that. But hey, Billy was okay. He'd been a nice kinda guy while they were lost in the forest anyway. 

Five minutes later, Clear came back in with a bottle of vodka and two glasses. She sat down next to Billy, who was changing the TV channel, acting like it was his house, not Clear's. 

"This TV sucks dude," he commented insensitively. "I mean, where's all the channels? My TV's got about two hundred."

Clear sighed, trying her best to ignore the comments. 

"I can't afford cable Billy," she answered plainly. "Unlike you I have to buy stuff myself."

"Oh right. Well, your loss."

Clear clenched her fists, getting angrier. Just who the hell did he think he was tonight? 

'If he say's _one _more thing,' she thought to herself angrily. 'Just _one _more thing, I swear I'm gonna-.'

"You know Clear, I don't think you can get the X-Files on your TV. It's on cable tonight," Billy interrupted her thoughts. Clear attempted to smile, trying to cover up her annoyance for this guy.

"We don't have to watch TV," Billy suggested, putting his glass down on the table. He edged closer to Clear on the sofa.

"Oh no," she said quickly. "No way. If you came round here just to get off with me you can forget it."

"But I didn't come round just to get off with you Clear!!" he wailed in despair. "That was only plan B. I actually came round to borrow 'It's Raining Men,' out of your stereo. Getting off with you was just something I thought I might do if I had time before the X-Files."

"Oh great. Nice to know I'm just your back-up plan Billy." Clear stood up suddenly, trying to get as far away from him as possible. "Get out. It's late and I'm tired."

"Oh me too. Can I sleep at your place tonight?" Billy asked childishly. His expression suddenly changed as if he had thought of something. "Oh no, what shame. What _am _I going to do?" he announced, not sounding very convincing. "I just remembered, I'm allergic to er, um....what's your couch made of?"

"Polyester. I think," Clear replied impatiently, her arms folded. 

"Well, you see, the thing is... I'm allergic to poly-whatever you said. So, you don't happen to have a spare room do you?" Billy asked desperately.

"Yes. I do. But you're not staying-."

"Oh I _hate _sleeping on my own. Please! Pleeeeease! Let me sleep in your bed with you!" By this time Billy was hanging on her arm, practically begging.

"No. Billy. I think what you need to do is go home, and get your head together." _(Geddit?)_

Billy started walking over to the door, his head down.

"Oh Billy, and one more thing," Clear called after him. He turned around, a look of hope in his eyes. "You forgot your scream mask."

She threw the black and white mask at him.

"Thanks Clear," he sighed weakly. He was just about to open the door when he spun round for his final comment. As you do.

"Oh and Clear?"

"Ah-ha?"

"I really really really really _really_ like you. I really do. I liked you ever since we got stuck in the woods together, and I just want you to know, that any time you want somebody to sleep with, I'll be right there for you baby-."

"Go home Billy," Clear replied firmly.

"Right." He slammed the door behind him. Angry and frustrated, he stood on the doorstep. "Damn!" he said to himself.

Carter finished packing his stuff and sat down on the bed, sighing. At last, he was getting out of the hospital. And his Mum and Dad were coming to pick him up, any second. He tried to get to his feet, but his ankle was sprained and he could hardly walk. He looked at his hand, with the ring on his finger which Terry had bought him. He smiled to himself. 

"Carter!!! Honey!" Mrs. Horton suddenly rushed into the room and hugged him. "You okay sweetie?"

"Yeah Mom. I'm fine."

Mrs. Horton looked at his ankle. "Oh, you poor thing. How's your foot?"

Carter wasn't really listening. He was looking at the ring, missing Terry, even though he had only seen her the night before.

"Oh, it's pretty great," he sighed absent-mindedly. "Mom, would you mind if Terry came over today?"

"Sure thing son," Mr. Horton replied appearing over his wife's shoulder. "As long as I don't have to listen to that sodding Cockroach music, whatever you call it."

"It's _Papa_ Roach Dad," Carter corrected, attempting to pick up his bag.

"So, you ready?" Mrs. Horton asked him. "We've sorted everything out with the nurse, so there's no paperwork to do or anything like that." 

Carter nodded, and with the help of his parents, got to his feet. 

"Yeah," Terry sighed, twisting the telephone cord around her finger. "You don't sound too good baby. You sure you want me to come over to your house?"

She waited for a second for Carter's reply, then laughed. "Well, I missed you. So, I'll see you in about an hour okay?"

Suddenly, a red light started flashing on the phone.

"Oh, hang on a minute Carter, I've got another call, just wait a second, I'll be right with you."

She pressed the button, wondering who the hell it could be.

"Hello?" she asked unsurely.

"Oh hey Terry. I hope I haven't caught you at a bad time," Tod's croaky voice crackled down the line. She opened her mouth to reply, but he interrupted before she had a chance.

"Cos, we really need to talk. I mean, I really like you, and it was really cool, you know, but-."

"Tod, I can't talk right now," Terry told him. "I'm kinda busy. I'm going over to Carter's later, and-."

"Oh, Carter. I see. Well, I better go then," Tod immediately started to sound sarcastic.

"Tod, wait. I know we need to sort things out, but Carter just got out of hospital today."

"Listen Terry. Alex and Clear know. About us."

"What?! How?!"

"I dunno. Alex reckons he's psychic, but personally, I think that's a load of shit. The only person I can think of, Is Clear. I mean, with her big gob, the whole school could know within a week."

"If Carter finds out, I'm dead," Terry hissed down the phone. "He'll hate me forever. And, I don't know whether I could take that, cos...cos..."

"Cos what?" Tod demanded.

"Oh Tod. I know you're gonna hate me for saying this, but, I _love _Carter," Terry answered plainly.

"I don't hate _you_ for saying that."

"You don't?"

"No." Tod answered quickly. He laughed evilly. "I hate _Carter _instead."

"Tod," Terry warned. "Don't start."

"I'm _not _starting!"

"I've really gotta go now Tod," Terry replied, looking round the hall to make sure nobody was listening. "Carter needs me."

"Yeah. Right," Tod answered pissily. "Don't let me keep you then."

He slammed the phone down at that point.

Carter stood in the hallway, waiting for Terry to come back on the line.

"Baby? You still there?" Terry's voice came down the line suddenly. 

"Yeah," he sighed tiredly. "Who was that?"

"Er, a salesman."

"Selling?" Carter persisted suspiciously.

" Bouncy castles."

"You're really bad at lying Terry, you know that?" Carter told her, wondering what she was hiding. Terry laughed uncertainly.

"Yeah. You're right."

"So who was it?"

"Oh Carter, it doesn't matter," Terry replied quickly trying to get off the subject. "Are you absolutely positive that you want me to come round, when you've just got out of hospital?"

"Duh? Who else is gonna do my laundry?" Carter joked.

"Thanks," Terry answered weakly. 

"I want to see you. Hospital sucks, big time. I'm just glad to be home," Carter explained, smiling to himself. 

"Right then. I'll come round as soon as I can."

"When's that?"

"Geez Carter," Terry said wondering why he was so desperate to see her. "Why all the urgency?"

"I'm bored. My Dad's building a pathetic excuse for a shed outside, and my Mum's pissing me off asking me if I'm okay every five seconds. I'm fine, but nobody seems to understand."

"Yeah. I got it. See ya Carter."

"Bye Terry."

****

Chapter 36:

__

FBI Headquarters- Washington DC:

Agent Weine sat at his desk examining the Bureau's latest invention. It was a long, thin, pencil shaped device with a laser on one end. At that moment, his partner, Agent Schreck entered the room, clutching a stack of papers.

"How's the flashy thing coming on?" he asked. Weine looked up to face him.

"Oh, it's great. With this baby, nobody'll ever know the truth about any of the X-Files unless we want them to," he replied thinking he was ace.

"So, what does it do, exactly?"

"It sends a signal to the brain, wiping the memory of the subject you point it at," Weine explained. "You simply get the person to look into the laser, then you press this button here," he pointed to a small button on the main part of the 'flashy thing.' "You can set the amount of memory you want the person to lose, for anything from minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, even years. I'm telling you Schreck, this is the thing we've been looking for."

"And I invented it," Schreck reminded him, making sure he didn't lose any credit.

"I know, I know. But, we gotta have a bit of fun with this thing first, before we use it on anyone for real."

"You mean, test it?"

"Sure. Whatever you want."

"And how exactly are we gonna get people to test this?" Schreck asked. "Put up a poster saying, 'come here if you wanna lose your memory?' Sure, people are really gonna fall for that...." He finished sarcastically.

Weine smirked to himself. 

"That's not a bad idea," he announced, rubbing his chin in thought. 

"All we need, is a bunch of ignorant little dirtbags who'll do anything for a bit of cash.........."

"Hey, look at this!!" Alex yelled, pointing to a bright yellow poster on the wall in the cafeteria.

"What?!" Tod asked in annoyance.

"The FBI are testing a new virtual reality game!! Here!! In two days!!"

"Let _me _see that!!" Tod cried leaping off the bench over to where Alex was standing. He pushed in front of Alex to read the print on the poster.

"If you want to experience the latest in exhilarating computer technology, we're coming here, to Mt. Abraham High School, for a special testing session. If you want to be part of this fantastic opportunity, for free, come along to the main hall at 3:30pm on Tuesday 10th May. All entrants will receive one hundred dollars!! Don't miss out or you'll be a sad geek forever!!" Tod read excitedly. "Wow dude! A new Virtual Reality Game!! We have gotta see that!!"

Alex grabbed Tod by the arms and the two of them started jumping round happily. 

"I know man , I know!!"

"It's gonna be sooooooooo cool!!"

"Yeah!"

"Yeah!"

"What are you two freaks getting high off now?" A voice asked. They spun round, to see George looking at them with his arms folded.

"This!" Tod cried ripping the paper off the wall. 

"Wow!!" George yelled as he scanned down the paper. "This I gotta see!"

__

(Honestly, boys and computer games eh?)

Soon a large crowd of people were gathered around the poster. 

Outside, Agent Schreck lay on the grass with a pair of binoculars, spying on the cafeteria. Weine stood behind him, making sure the kids didn't get suspicious.

"Wow," Schreck sighed, looking through the lenses.

"What is it Agent?" Weine asked curiously.

"Those thick gits are falling for our plan better than I thought," Schreck replied smarmily. "I don't think we're gonna have a problem getting our 'flashy thing' tested, I can tell you that."

Weine rubbed his hands together, grinning evilly. "Excellent," he hissed in a sinister voice.

Clear was walking down the corridor when a hand reached out and grabbed her, pulling her round the corner.

"Tod?!" she gasped in shock.

"What have you been saying to Alex?" Tod snarled.

"Alex?" Clear asked, not sure what he was getting at. "I haven't spoken to Alex recently."

"Yeah, sure you haven't," he replied. Tod lowered his voice slightly. "Well how do you explain the fact that he knows about me and Terry?"

"Search me," Clear answered calmly, shrugging.

"I might have to if you don't tell me!" Tod snapped back, gripping her by the arms. Clear shook herself free angrily.

"Get off me!!" she yelled. "I told you, I don't know!"

Tod stepped back, wondering whether he should believe her.

"Well, he found out somehow. And so far, the only person I can think of that could have told him, was you."

"Oh piss off," Clear replied bitterly. "He was gonna find out one way or another. And I don't have to keep your secrets for you Tod. If you don't stop harassing me I'm gonna go and tell Carter myself!"

Tod stepped closer again, angry and full of fear that Carter would find out.

"You do that, and I'll slit your throat you mouthy bitch!"

"You have no right to speak to me like that!"

"Oh yeah? It's a free country."

"In that case, it's my choice whether I tell Carter. I don't think it's fair that you and Terry went out behind his back, causing him all this pain!"

"Well they're back together now aren't they?" Tod replied, feeling slightly hurt. "What does it matter? According to Terry, he needs her. But who needs me eh? Nobody."

"Is that what all this about? Jealousy?" Clear asked, looking straight at him.

"Of course not!" Tod answered sharply. 

"Well, I'm late for class Tod," Clear announced as she took a step forward. "You can sort this all out yourself." She walked off down the corridor.

"Carter, I should be at school right now," Terry informed him as she stood in the doorway of his bedroom. "I don't think I should be here."

"So you're just gonna leave me?" Carter questioned. "If you leave me, I might....er.....try to kill myself again. Yeah, that's what I'd do. I'd be suicidal. You _can't _just go off to school Terry!"

"Oh Carter," Terry sighed, annoyed that he had persuaded her to come round to his way of thinking again.

"Well, would you rather be at school, or here? With me?"

"Here. With you," Terry replied walking over to where he was sitting on the bed. 

"I thought so," Carter replied smarmily. She sat down next to him on the bed. He reached out and put his arm around her.

"I'm so glad I don't have to sleep in the hospital tonight."

"Me too."

"I really missed you Terry."

"Yeah."

"Well, what would you have done If I'd died?"

"Carter," Terry began in disbelief. "Why are you asking me stupid stuff like that?"

"Well? Would you have cared?"

"Yes!! For god's sake Carter, I love you. Of course I would have cared," Terry answered, as she moved closer to him.

Outside the window, Agent Weine and Agent Schreck were walking back from the school. Weine was holding the 'flashy thing'.

"Hey! you've been hogging that thing all day!" Agent Schreck yelled, trying to snatch it off his partner.

"Have not," he argued childishly.

"You have!! Gimme a shot with it!!"

"No way, you'll wreck it!" Weine protested, holding it high above his head.

"But It was my idea!"

"Tough."

"Oh that's _it!!"_ Schreck cried lunging for his partner. He reached out for the invention, and the two of them started rolling around on the sidewalk. Weine held the 'flashy thing' behind his back, desperately trying not to let Agent Schreck get it off him.

"For God's sake! I just want one go with it man! Just _one _go!" Agent Schreck cried, jumping all over his partner.

"No! Mine!"

"Mine!!"

Suddenly, they both grabbed it at the same time, and a tug of war began.

"Just give me that 'flashy thing' Weiney, or you'll be sorry!"

"No I bloody well won't!"

"Gimme it!"

"No! Let go of it Schreck! It's my turn with it!"

"It's _my _turn Weiner!!"

"Don't call me that!"

Then, everything seemed to happen at once. Somehow, one of them pressed the button. A bright red laser beam started bouncing round, off the walls of the houses.

"Get down!" Agent Weine yelled as the beam darted around like a Ping-Pong ball over their heads. The two of them leapt onto the sidewalk, as low as they could get.

The laser hit a tree and changed direction again. Straight through Carter's window.

****

Chapter 37:

"Owwwwwwwwww!" Carter yelled springing back away from Terry.

"What is it baby?" Terry asked, concerned for him. He put his hand to his face.

"I'm not sure. I felt something in my eye," Carter replied, slowly realising he couldn't remember anything that had just happened. "It might have come through the window."

"I'll go and look," Terry informed him as she got to her feet, moving over to the window. She looked down, to see the two FBI Agents getting to their feet. Agent Weine happened to look up just at that second.

"Oh, hey there," he called, as he waved to her.

"Did you guys just throw something through the window?" Terry asked, annoyed.

"Oh no, course not," Weine assured her. Behind him, Agent Schreck was dusting his suit down, clutching the 'flashy thing' in one hand.

"Are you crazy?" Schreck asked angrily. 

"Excuse me a moment," Weine told Terry as he turned to face his partner.

"What are you doing Schreck?"

"Oh, you fool! You pitiful, pitiful fool!" Schreck replied sharply, shaking is head. He pointed the flashy thing at Terry. "She's seen us! She knows!"

"What?" Terry called down. "What have I seen!"

"She's onto us!" Agent Schreck cried, pressing the button before Weine had a chance to stop him. The laser beam shot into Terry's eye.

"What the hell?" she yelled, feeling a short, stinging pain at the back of her eye. She looked out of the window again. 

"Run for it!!!!!" Weine cried at the top of his voice, grabbing Schreck. They started pegging it down the street.

"Terry? You okay?" Carter asked as Terry walked back over to him.

"Yeah. I got a pain in my eye too. But I don't have a clue how it happened," she explained, feeling light-headed and dizzy.

"What am I doing in your house?"

"I dunno." Carter replied. "Why does my leg hurt?"

"I really don't know. I can't remember anything," she answered. "The last thing I can remember, is the fight you had with Tod in the cafeteria. From then to now, it's just blank."

"Exactly," Carter agreed, rubbing his head. He looked at his hand. "Where the hell did this ring come from? I don't remember having a ring."

"Neither do I," Terry sighed, feeling tired.

"Oh well. I guess we must have gone on another all night drinking spree or something," Carter attempted to offer a logical explanation.

"Correction. _You _must have gone on an all night drinking spree. I don't do that," Terry answered adamantly.

"Well how do you explain _your_ memory loss?" Carter challenged feeling smarmy.

Terry walked over to the window again, as if she was searching for the answer. After looking out for a few seconds, she stopped and walked back over to the bed.

"Oh geez Carter, you must be right!" Terry exclaimed giving up on any hope of a different explanation. "You must have talked me into it!"

"Oh, it's always my fault!"

"Yeah it is! Who knows what happened? You could have stolen that ring for all we know, we could have killed people or something!"

"As if," Carter replied confidently. 

Billy was walking down the street minding his own business when Alex suddenly appeared out of nowhere, hanging upside down in a tree.

"Hey Billy!" he called.

"What the hell are you doing dude?" Billy asked, trying not to show that Alex had almost made him jump out of his skin.

"I was practising being a bat. It's kinda fun," Alex replied in a matter of fact kind of way. He swung himself down, landing on the sidewalk facing Billy. "I thought I might catch you on the way home."

"And why would you want to do that?"

"We need to have a little talk..." Alex began, putting his arm around Billy as if he was being friendly. They started walking off down the road.

"Now, you like Clear don't you Billy?" Alex asked. Billy hesitated for a second, not sure what he should say. Eventually, he decided to tell the truth.

"Yeah."

"Wrong!!" Alex yelled, making Billy jump for the second time. "That is NOT the correct answer!"

"But I do like-."

"I said, that's the wrong answer. _I _like Clear, you got that?"

Billy stared uncertainly, getting slightly wary of Alex. 

"And I'm gonna be the only one who likes her, okay? So you, can just forget any chance you think you have with her!"

"Alex, I think we'll let Clear decided who she likes the best," Billy answered sensibly.

"No_. I_ think we'll save her the trouble. I mean, we all know _I'm _the favourite," Alex scoffed putting his hand on his heart as if he was being modest. "So why bother? You might as well just forget all about her."

"No. I won't," Billy replied, with no intention of backing down. "What makes you think that _you're _the one she likes best? What makes you better?"

"What makes _me _better?" Alex repeated in mock disbelief. "Oh Billy, Oh poor naive little Billy," he sighed shaking his head. "You have got a lot to learn my friend."

Billy shook Alex's arm away from him angrily. "No Alex. _You _have got a lot to learn. You think you're so cool don't you?"

"Yeah. I'll have to admit I do. But at least I_ am _cool, I'm not just deluding myself like you!"

"You know what Alex?" Billy said quickly. "I'm not gonna bother wasting my breath on you. I've got stuff to do at home. So goodbye."

With that, Billy stormed off down the street. Alex laughed to himself, thinking himself far superior.

"She likes me better!" he yelled, not able to resist having the last word.

"Hey Mom, Dad, I'm home!" Alex cried as he flung open the door. Mrs. Browning suddenly appeared in the hallway.

"Hi honey," she greeted him. 

"Anything good happen while I was at wondrous school today?"

"You're in a good mood today aren't you?" his mum replied. "Usually when you get home you just peg it upstairs to your room and never re-appear till dinnertime."

"Yeah well," Alex brushed it aside. "There's this new FBI virtual reality game being tested tomorrow, it's gonna be ace! We get paid a hundred dollars to try it out!"

"Really?" Mrs. Browning answered, not really taking any notice. "That's nice dear."

"You bet it is!" Alex yelled.

"Shhhh dear," Mrs. Browning replied in a unenthusiastic tone. "There's no need to get over-excited."

"There is!!" Alex shrieked jumping up and down. "I'm gonna get paid for testing out a computer game!! You can't get any better than that!!"

Just at that second, Mr. Browning walked into the hallway with his reading glasses on.

"So, you're testing out a new game are you son?" he asked, pretending he was interested. 

"Yeah!!" Alex screamed. He suddenly realised how immature he sounded. "I mean...it's okay, you know, I'm cool about it."

"Yeah well," Ken Browning continued. "In case you haven't noticed there's some washing in the kitchen that needs pegging out."

Alex rolled his eyes.

"I was talking to Jerry Waggner the other day, _he _says that when his boys get out of line he gets out this chore hat, and then-."

"Yeah, Dad, I know," Alex interrupted holding his hands up. "Tod's told me all about that sodding chore hat. And we're not gonna start using 'Chore Hats' in this house okay? God!" Alex shook his head and skipped off up the stairs.

****

Chapter 38

"Dad?" Tod asked as he sauntered into the room that evening. Jerry Waggner was sitting in front of the TV, watching the news.

"In other news, the FBI are looking for willing senior students to test out their new virtual reality game 'You're Dead, I'm Rich'," the newsreader announced.

"Hey, this is what I was telling you about earlier!" Tod cried leaping into the next available chair. He watched the screen intently as Agent Weine and Agent Schreck appeared.

"Yes, we are looking for people who can test out our game," Weine told the newsreader. "We will be in Mt. Abraham High School tomorrow afternoon, at 3:30pm."

"So, can you tell us a bit about your game?" the newsreader asked, sounding interested.

"Er....well....it's kinda hard to explain.." Weine struggled, obviously not expecting to be asked that kind of question. Desperately, he turned to his partner. "Schreck, a little help?"

"Yeah, well, our invention, 'You're Dead, I'm Rich,' is about, it's about....well if you put it this way-."

"Have you ever seen that movie 'Robocop?'" Weine interrupted. The newsreader nodded unsurely.

"Yes, I have. So, are you telling me that your game is a little like 'Robocop?'"

"No, I just wondered if you'd seen it-," Weine started, before receiving a sharp dig in the ribs from his partner.

"I think, what my partner meant to say was that er.." Schreck attempted to offer an explanation. "Is that if you think of the way that Robocop is a robot," the newsreader stared intently at Schreck, waiting for the answer to what should have been an easy question. "Then I suppose it's a little like that. It's designed so that we can get into the minds of criminals, find out how they work and then we can catch them more...efficiently," Schreck concluded feeling proud of himself.

"Yeah, the students who test it will get inside the mind of a criminal of their choice, then afterwards fill out a questionnaire," Weine added.

"People are saying each student will be paid a hundred dollars for testing out your game. Is that true?" The newsreader interrogated them.

"Yeah. That's true all right. So come along tomorrow, and get a piece of the action!" Weine exclaimed trying to advertise.

"See Dad!!" Tod yelled as the report came to an end. "I told you they were coming to my school, I told you!!"

"I know son," Jerry Waggner replied without much enthusiasm. George entered the room at that moment. He slapped a high five with his brother. For the first time in days they actually seemed to be getting along. 

"Hey, look at this," George whispered in Tod's ear, bringing a burnt and tattered piece of material out from behind his back.

"What's that?"

"Let me put it this way. I don't think we'll be hearing from 'Mr. Chore Hat' for a while," George replied smirking.

"No way man! You burnt the chore hat!" Tod yelled, forgetting his Dad was sitting right next to him.

"You burnt the what what?" Jerry Waggner asked. Obviously he hadn't listened to a word they had been saying.

"Oh nothing that concerns you Dad," George answered. The two of them grinned happily at each other.

"Oh Good morning class!!" Miss. Mulder shrieked ecstatically. Tod and Alex exchanged worried glances. What had _she _got to be so happy about?

"What a wonderful day it is today!" the substitute caught sight of Tod looking, bored to say the least. Instead of getting angry, she smiled.

"And Stripy Waggner! Sooooo glad you could make it!"

"Well duh?" Tod replied not in the mood for fun and games with the most annoying teacher in the entire universe. "It's the testing day for that FBI game today innit?"

"Why yes Stripy Waggner it is!!" Miss. Mulder cried clasping her hands together. "What a glorious day!" She noticed Alex looking confused, in the desk next to Tod.

"And you, Alex?" she asked, wondering if she had got his name right. "You look so, so, happy to be here!"

"Believe me, I am."

"I am, what?" the teacher repeated.

"I am, Miss Mulder," Alex sighed, exasperated.

"That's the spirit!" Miss. Mulder leapt off the desk and addressed the class. "Now, today, we are going to be studying something, a little different. Something, a little beyond the realms of common sense, something powerful, something that may even freak you out a little." She stopped, obviously for a dramatic pause. Tod put his head down on his desk, wishing he didn't have to be here. "I have a question to ask you all," she continued, the huge grin never leaving her face. "Is there, a design?"

"You what?" Tod shouted out rudely. 

"Is there such a thing, as fate?" Miss. Mulder carried on, ignoring Tod's comments. "Did someone, or something, plan out our lives before we were even here? Or do you make your own life? Are you in control of your own actions? Or is it already laid out, and everything you do is because it was meant to be?"

"This sucks," Tod remarked arrogantly. This outburst suddenly brought him to the teachers attention. 

"Tod, why don't you tell me your thoughts on the subject?"

For a second he looked surprised, then he cleared his throat and began. "Well, I don't really know what I think," he started. "I guess I haven't thought about it before. You should ask Alex," he replied pointing to his friend. Alex shot an angry glance at him.

"Okay, Alex, you speak," Miss. Mulder answered, switching her gaze to him.

"I think, that....er.." Alex struggled to explain. After a few seconds, a smirk crossed his devious face. "Well, I believe, that if we go to Paris and the plane explodes on take off, I believe....that it was meant to be. You can't change the way things are meant to be. If we don't go on that plane, if we...effectively cheat death...then we will die some other way. A new design will be created. But it won't give us much time. You're not meant to cheat the plan, Miss. Mulder, and if we just stop and think, for one second-."

"Right Alex, very good," Miss. Mulder interrupted, feeling slightly uneased by his words. "You can shut up now. After all, we wouldn't want you scaring these poor perfect angels out of going to Paris would we?" All of a sudden her smile became evil. Alex took a closer look, and could have sworn she was holding a screwdriver.

"Anyone else want to offer their opinion?"

Nobody put their hand up. At that moment, the door opened. Carter strolled in defiantly.

"Hey there, hot stuff," Miss. Mulder greeted him, her eyes lighting up. Carter folded his arms and stared her in the eyes. 

"Mr. Doggett sent me to ask if you have his screwdriver," Carter replied, deciding to ignore her comment. Miss. Mulder looked guilty as she held it behind her back.

"Er....what screwdriver?" she replied not sounding very convincing. Suddenly, it slipped out of her hands and hit the floor. Carter sighed. 

"Oh, where did that come from?" Miss. Mulder asked as if she didn't have a clue. "_Somebody _in this class planted it on me!"

"Er...no, we didn't," Tod answered cockily, getting pissed off with her. "Excuse me, but I think _you _were the one who stole it!"

"It was HIM!" Miss. Mulder cried out, throwing herself into Carter's arms. She grabbed hold of him and stared evilly at Tod. "He planted it on me, he DID!!"

"Tod?!" Carter replied in disbelief, struggling to free himself from the teacher's grip. "No. I don't think so Miss. Mulder. I think you did it. So please, pass me that screwdriver and I can get back to class."

"You can't go now!" Miss. Mulder shrieked, grabbing him by the shoulders. "I haven't screwed anything yet!!"

Tod sighed and leapt out of his chair. He strode over to the teacher and snatched the screw driver off the floor, handing it to Carter. Carter took it and tried to make his way out of the room, but the substitute had other ideas.

"Please, don't leave me. I'm lonely. I'm unhappy. I'm tired of these pathetic annoying," she glared at Tod as she spoke. "..Pitiful excuses for teenagers. I need a real man...er...what did you say your name was?"

"I didn't," Carter replied impatiently. "But I think you're forgetting Miss.Mulder, that-."

"Oh just call me Jenny!"

"Okay...Jenny. I think you're forgetting that I am also a teenager. And, you know, as flattering as it is for a teacher to fancy me, I already have a girlfriend. And I was sent here on official business. So, if you don't mind, I'll take this screwdriver, and go."

"Oh please, don't go!" Miss. Mulder squealed, pretending to be helpless.

"Listen you," Tod interrupted suddenly. "I have had just about enough, of this. You are the most pathetic, idiotic, airheaded, annoying, bitch of a substitute I have ever had. I want Ms.Lewton back!"

"Well I'm sorry to disappoint you _Stripy_, but your precious teacher is not here, so I guess you'll just have to make do with...Hey! Did you just call me an airhead?" Miss. Mulder spat back.

"Yeah, I guess I did," Tod replied defiantly. He glanced at Carter. "Peg it Carter, while you've still got the chance!" he yelled. Carter nodded and ran as fast as he could out of the room, with the screwdriver. Miss. Mulder grinned evilly.

"Like I said, Ms.Lewton isn't here. So, in the meantime-."

"Stop right there," a voice echoed around the room. All heads looked in the direction of the door. It was Ms. Lewton. She marched across to the front of the class, and shoved Miss.Mulder out of the way. The pathetic excuse for a substitute fell to the floor.

****

Chapter 39:

"Now, I don't know why, or how, I came to be in the faculty lounge just now, but I know one thing," Ms. Lewton announced heroically. "I know that you are my class, and come hell or high water, we're going to Paris!"

"All right Ms. Lewton!" Tod yelled clapping.

"Way to go!"

"Sweet!"

People all round the class called out. Ms. Lewton bowed, like she was some kind of a celebrity.

"You can't get away with this Valerie!" Miss. Mulder hissed, picking herself up from the floor. "I'll be back, someday. I'll find a way to get my revenge!"

"Oh, shut the fuck up!" Ms. Lewton cried, smacking the substitute hard across the face. For a second, Miss. Mulder looked as if she was going to retaliate. Instead, she stuck her nose in the air and marched out of the class. 

"What happened Ms. Lewton?" Alex asked, confused. "Mr. Doggett said you had a panic attack a couple of days ago, you know, when we never listened?"

"What?" Ms. Lewton repeated, a bewildered look on her face. "Oh no, I don't remember anything like that. No, the last thing I can remember is those nice young men who came to give me an eye test."

"What?" Alex asked, wondering what she was talking about.

"Oh, they just checked out my eyes for a second, then left. I feel great now."

"Right."

After class, Alex and Tod walked along the corridor.

"I don't know what you think," Tod began. "But something seriously weird is going on in our school. I mean, what was the deal with the screwdriver dude? And how the hell did we end up with a substitute as whacked as Miss. Mulder?"

"I don't know," Alex sighed. "I wish I did. But I don't. All I know, is that the FBI are testing the game in," he glanced at his watch. "Two hours!"

"Far out!" Tod yelled, slapping him a high five. "One hundred dollars here I come!"

It was 3:30pm when the two of them met outside the main hall. A huge crowd of students had already blocked the entrance. Alex pushed his way to the front, where Tod was waiting.

"Can you see it?" he asked, intrigued.

"See what?"

"The game stupid!"

"No. It seems quite Top secret stuff!" Tod replied unable to contain the excitement. A man in a brown suit suddenly caught their eye and made his way over. 

"That must be one of the agents!" Alex squealed. The man opened the hall door.

"Good afternoon," he greeted them. "You may make your way inside now. You don't need any belongings, bags and stuff like that can be left outside." 

Quick as a flash, the students pushed their way in. Tod and Alex bagged two seats at the front. The man approached the front of the hall, who was now joined by a second man in a suit and glasses.

"Welcome. I am Special Agent Schreck, and this," Schreck introduced himself, pointing to the other man. "Is my partner, Special Agent Weine. We're with the FBI."

He paused for a moment, and put his hands behind his back. "Now, in a moment, we will show you the game. You will all get your turn, so there is no need to push in. There are however, a few safety precautions we need to take, before we allow you to experience this advanced technology."

He turned away from the eagerly awaiting teenagers for a moment, to speak to his partner.

"Weine, have you got the flashy thing?"

"Sure thing buddy," Weine replied, handing it over, a sly smirk appearing on his face.

"What's that?" Tod asked rudely. Instead of ignoring his remarks, like most other adults would, Schreck simply smiled. He turned back to the audience.

"This, my friend, is an eye tester," he explained, holding up the 'flashy thing'. "You see, we wouldn't want your vision to be damaged while we are letting you experience our game, would we?"

The rows of students shook their heads in unison.

"So, this thing here will make sure your eyes are in good enough condition to go through with the testing." He held the flashy thing up in the air. Weine rubbed his hands together with glee, he had been waiting for this moment for so long, and now, it was only seconds away. 

"Would you, all, please look into this device for one second?" Schreck asked, trying to make his voice sound as welcoming as he possibly could.

Alex and Tod looked up eagerly, willing to do anything as long as they tested this game out. They didn't even seem to notice, that the room was empty, and there was absolutely nothing that could resemble this high-tech game in sight. They stared intently into the laser. Schreck put his finger over the button, realising the power he had over these naive teens. As he did this, Weine couldn't stop the evil cackle escaping from his mouth. Immediately, the students heads jerked to look in the direction

of the idiotic agent.

"Oh sheesh Weine, way to spoil the moment!" Schreck sighed angrily.

"Sorry, I er....I've got a bad case of the hayfever at the moment," Weine attempted to offer an explanation for his outburst. The sea of faces stared at him blankly. "Man, you should watch the weather report. Pollen levels, they're through the roof!"

"Yes, I see," Schreck replied, irritated by his partner. "Now, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted," he continued. "It is vital that you keep your eyes on the laser. From this moment, anything Agent Weine does is to be ignored."

From behind him, Weine nodded and gave the thumbs up sign, while at the same time trying to smother his laughter with his free hand.

"Are you ready?"

The crowd nodded.

"Do NOT avert your gaze as from this second, or you will not receive your hundred dollars for this experiment!" Schreck told them firmly, blackmailing them. All at once the heads turned back to the front. Alex stared at the laser, wishing they would get the eye testing over with and start on the real fun.

"Dude," Tod whispered. "What's the deal with the eye test?"

"I'm not sure," Alex whispered back, trying to make sure the agents didn't see him talking. He was too late.

"Silence!" Schreck snapped, looking more serious by the second. Behind him, Weine burst into uncontrollable laughter. He fell to the floor and rolled like a toddler having a tantrum.

"Oh, this hayfever!" he yelled as he wiped his eyes. "God damn this hayfever! God damn it to hell!"

But this time the students took no notice. This time, they were ready.

"You kids, you don't know how difficult it is to suffer from hayfever. Man, this _hayfever! _It's _hayfever _I tell you! And I can't, I can't stop this power that this hayfever has over me! This hayfever, is making my eyes water uncontrollably, this hayfever, is gagging my throat and making me make noises, which although may sound similar to laughing, is completely the opposite, and oh man! Listen to me kids, I am suffering from _hayfever. _There is no alterior motive in this experiment, oh no! I am simply a very vulnerable man. This hayfever, this common, annoying, well known condition which plagues me every day, even when I am indoors! Oh the agony! The annoyance, the pain I live through each and every day of my monotonous life, please, somebody save me, save me from the eternal wrath! Save me!" Weine stopped dead, realising, that now everybody was staring at him. He stopped rolling around on the floor and got to his feet, dusting his suit down with his hands. He suddenly realised what an idiot he had made of himself. "I mean, please, excuse me a moment." For a second, he looked as if he was going to calmly walk across the hall. But then this story wouldn't be a comedy if he did that would it?

"Ahhhhhhhhhhh! I've made a complete and utter fool of myself!" he shrieked, his hands in the air as he ran across the polished floor, his feet slipping occasionally. As he slammed the hall door behind him, Schreck cleared his throat.

"Now that, that _unpleasantness _is over," he began, straightening his tie with his left hand. "I think, we are ready to begin."

"But, what about his hayfever?" Alex asked. "Is he gonna be okay?"

"Yeah," Schreck sighed, not really bothered. "I mean, it's not like I care. We're not like Mulder and Scully you know. I don't really give a flying monkey's arse what happens to him."

Tod and Alex exchanged bewildered glances. 

"Man, I knew we should never have let him on that drugs raid last week," Schreck continued to himself.

"What was that?" Alex asked nosily.

"Nothing, nothing," Schreck dismissed it, the true professional. "Now, we are running out of time. Please, without another word, look into this device."

The eager teenagers did as they were told.

Schreck was about to press the button when.....

"Stop!" Weine screamed bursting through the doors. "Stop! I have an idea!"

Schreck sighed and brought the 'flashy thing' back down by his sides, in exasperation.

"What is it now, Weine?"

"I think, that it would be a good idea, if," Weine began, his shoes squeaking as he made his way across the hall to his partner. "If we had, a little, revelation time...."

"Revelation time?" Schreck repeated in disbelief. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about, getting people to admit their deepest and darkest secrets, before their memories are wipe- I mean, before the eye test," Weine continued, narrowly escaping giving the whole scheme away. 

"Good idea!" Schreck praised, clapping his partner on the back. "Who's first?"

"Ooh, oooh, me!!" Weine yelled excitedly. "When I was sixteen I went joy riding, and I ran over this old woman. She was dead, but I took her back to my house and buried her under the floorboards, right?" Weine started idiotically. "So, then, I was this murderer, on the run from the law, yeah? And get this, last week, I was reading the paper, and there was this article slashed right across the front page saying, 'Granny Basher on the loose', and it was soooo cool, you know? And in the article, it said-."

"Weine!!"

"No, let me finish. It said-."

Schreck grabbed his partner by the shoulders. 

"Weine! SHUT UP!! You're not gonna be flashy thinged are you?"

"Damn," Weine said, slowly realising the seriousness of what he had just said.

"Flashy what?" Tod demanded, of course listening in to the conversation.

"Quiet you!" Schreck hissed. "You didn't hear any of that, you understand?"

"I'm gonna go call the cops!" 

"You do, and I'll open a can of whup-ass on you so big, I'm gonna need a tin opener the size of brazil to get the lid off!" Schreck exploded, losing his cool. "And besides, we _are _the cops! So there, smart arse!"

Uncertainly, Tod clamped his big mouth shut. Schreck somehow managed to force his glare into a smile.

"Now, forgetting Weine's ridiculous idea of revelations-."

****

Chapter 40:

"I have one," a voice came from the back of the hall. It was Clear Rivers. "A while ago, I realised, that I was in love with somebody."

The whole hall fell silent.

"You see, me and some other people, we got lost in the woods together, and it was at this time, that I realised just how much he meant to me."

Both Billy and Alex leant back in their chairs, certain Clear was going to say it was one of them.

"I can't hide these feelings any longer. I have to tell somebody," Clear continued dramatically.

"Well, go on then," Weine encouraged, getting ready for the good part. 

"Guys, everyone, I have fallen in love, with.."

"Yes?" Alex whispered to himself. "Say it! Say it! Say you love me!"

"Come on Clear," Billy said quietly to himself. "It's one word beginning with B and ending with a Y. You have to say it."

"With....."

Everybody in the hall was waiting for her answer. 

"With....this squirrel I found with a broken leg in the bushes," Clear continued, producing a small grey animal from behind her back. "His name is Winston."

Alex leapt out of his seat, angry and frustrated. 

"A _squirrel?_" Alex repeated in disbelief. "A _squirrel? _You have favoured a squirrel over me?"

"Alex, I didn't know you-."

"You didn't know I liked you? Well here's another revelation. I love you Clear. I really do. At least, I did," Alex admitted, folding his arms. He turned his back on her childishly. "But I guess now there's no room in your heart for me cos you've got, _Winston,_" he mocked, throwing his arms around in the air.

"And I also have a revelation!" Tod yelled, jumping out of his chair. Schreck smiled appreciatively. Weine's idea seemed to be pretty juicy after all. 

"Alex is....a VIRGIN!"

"How _dare _you!" Alex shrieked spinning round again to face his mouthy git of a friend. "You _promised _me! You _promised_! You said, you wouldn't tell _anyone _about my secret!"

"But wait, there's more!" Tod announced dramatically. 

"You say another word and you can stuff waiting for a clothes line!" Alex erupted. "I'll strangle you myself!"

"No, it's not about you," Tod protested, taking a step back.

"Man, this is getting pretty good," Weine commented.

"I did it with Terry Chaney!" Tod shrieked.

Suddenly, the hall was plunged into silence.

"Oooh, bad move," Schreck whispered to his partner. It was a very good thing that Carter and Terry weren't at the meeting. 

"It was great," Tod admitted. "Me and Alex had this bet, but now _I've _won!" Tod cackled, beginning to crack up. "I, Tod Waggner reign supreme!!"

"Why you caniving son of a-," Alex begun, but he didn't get any further.

"Yeah, I did it with her too!" A voice called out.

"Me too!" Another called out.

"And me!"

"Yeah, same here!"

"She did it with me as well!"

"I heard she slept with the whole football team," a voice cried out from the back.

"Yeah, I heard that too!"

"Right," Weine began, getting out a clip-board and pencil. He wrote the name, 'Terry Chaney' at the top of the page. "I think we can safely conclude from this experiment, that Miss. Chaney is a bit of a village bicycle."

"Excuse me?" Schreck interrupted as Weine scribbled down some notes.

"You know," Weine replied. "Everyone's had a go."

A few people sniggered.

"Well, is that all?" Schreck asked. Silence. "In that case, let's get on with the experiment."

"Wait!!" Miss. Mulder cried as she ran into the hall. "I have one last thing to add!"

"You mean you did it with Terry Chaney as well?" Schreck asked.

"What? No," Miss. Mulder dismissed it. "I just came here to tell Stripy Waggner, that-."

"It's _Tod_, okay? Sheesh!" Tod replied, irritated.

"Well Tod, I just came to tell you that I," the teacher made her way across to Tod and took him by the hands. "I, I....I love you."

"What?!" Alex yelled in desperation. "This is just NOT happening!"

"You do?" Tod asked, flattered.

"Yeah."

"Then why were you so horrible to me?"

"Dunno," Miss. Mulder replied shrugging. "I know I'm going to have to quit my job now, so, goodbye."

She turned, putting her hands over her face. It was like a scene out of a movie.

"But Miss. Mulder-."

"No Tod. I must go," she replied, as she started to walk away.

"Miss. Mulder, before you go," Tod said calmly, as he turned the teacher round to face him. He took her face in his hands and kissed her.

"Oh man!" Alex cried, throwing his arms up in disgust. "First you blab about my virginity, then you tell me you slept with Terry, and now _this_? What is the world coming to?"

"That's it!" Schreck cried. "I have put up with all this fun and games for long enough. We're doing this eye test, NOW!"

Everybody stared at the agent as he lifted the 'flashy thing' high enough for everyone to see. The students waited in anticipation, Clear holding 'Winston' the squirrel, Tod and Miss. Mulder clinging to each other, Alex with his arms folded, and the rest of them sitting shocked to the core in their seats.

"Are you ready, to boldly go where no man has ever gone before?" Schreck challenged, his finger hovering over the button. Weine tried as hard as he could, but he had waited for this for so long it was unbearable. He felt like a mad scientist. 

"To infinity, and beyond!" he shrieked bursting into fits of hysterical laughter. Agent Schreck rolled his eyes, deciding to let it go. If his partner wanted to behave like a total idiot, then so be it.

"Are you all looking into the laser?" He asked. The crowd of heads nodded in unison. 

Slowly, and dramatically, he inched his finger closer to the button, the only thing that spoiled this atmospheric moment being his partners disturbing behaviour behind him. 

"Then there's nothing more to say," Schreck concluded. He hesitated for a second.

"Do it! Do it God damn it!" Weine yelled from the floor, where he was once again rolling around.

Schreck closed his eyes, and before he knew what was happening, his finger had pushed the button. The bright red laser beam shot into the eyes of each and every one of the teenagers........ 

This millisecond would be the last memory any of the students would recall from the past week. 

Gone was the memory of the forest.

Gone was the recollection of the party at Tod and George's.

Gone were the feelings Alex had felt for Clear. As far as he knew now, he hadn't even spoken to her in the four years they had been at high school together.

Gone was any knowledge of being called 'Stripy', or the things that Alex had revealed to Tod about his death.

It was all gone. Everything.

****

There Were No Memories.

****

That's the end by the way. I just thought writing 'The End' would have been a bit too tacky for my liking. Not that writing 'The End' is tacky or anything. I'll tell you what is tacky though.

'Six Months Later'.

That really was cheesy. I mean, I'm not one to criticise Final Destination, but really. Did you know, about the two other alternate endings they had?

Both of them involved Alex dying. The first alternate ending, which I've got on DVD is the one where Alex gets set on fire by the power line at the end, dies, and then Clear has a baby, which was the result of an alternate love scene which was also cut. The babies really cute by the way, although, not as cute as Carter. Here's my favourite bit of the alternate ending number one. Carter, by a memorial, crying. So sweet. Then Clear approaches with Fritz the dog and Alexander Chance, the baby obviously. They talk, Carter scratches the back of his neck, the usual. Then, a leaf falls on the camera from above as Clear whispers,

"One day."

Yeah, that's all very well and good. If you love it when the main character dies. Actually, I liked it cos Carter lives. Then again, 

Final Destination+This Ending=No Sequel. And we wouldn't want that would we?

The second alternate ending was a little less original. It involved Alex being decapitated by the rudder of an FBI helicopter. Nice. I don't like the sound of that one personally. It's just the same as Billy's basically.

So, they decided to go all tacky and cheesy and do a 'six months later' thing instead. Okay, apart from the tackiness of it all, it's got a good burst of action at the end. In my book, it was getting close to a ten out of ten. Alex alive. Clear and Carter alive. All the main characters fine and dandy. Then suddenly, I saw this thing appear behind Carter.

"Hmmm," I thought to myself. "I wonder what's going to happen?"

Then it became apparant that this was the sign which almost killed Alex. Then it swung down. Closer. And closer. Then the screen went black, with the faint smashing of glass in the background. I was silent for a minute.

Then I think I swore.

All the way through the credits, me and my friends said how much it sucked.

"That is NOT the end!" My friend was yelling. And I wish was wasn't. Then again, what did the Hare Krishna say at the airport? 'Death is not the end'. Let's hope it isn't. Hey, we should trust him, his white stripe down his nose gave him superpowers....

So, in conclusion, I think the ending was cool, because now because of it there will be a sequel. On the other hand, it looks like Carter is 'no more'. And come on, he was the coolest character. What a car he had. Man, I want that car. It rocked. 

Anyway, thanks for reading this. Let's hope adding this has got me to the top of the list again eh?

Review it too if you haven't already done so. I need all the help I can get.......


End file.
